Operation Blessing Helps Ease Darfur Suffering

Since late September, fighting between Sudanese government troops and rebel militias has escalated, adding at least 20,000 more refugees to camps in Darfur. Some villagers fleeing the violence are reportedly living in the open air, under trees. They're in desperate need of food, water, shelter and medical care. "This small child has just arrived at the refugee camp," said relief worker David Darg, with Operation Blessing. "He could have traveled for miles in very terrible conditions just to get here and he's arrived very malnourished and the doctor is telling me he's anemic and he has a terrible ear infection. So, now we're going to have to put him on antibiotics and give him some emergency nutrition to try to get him up to strength and there are children like this all over the camp." Working with the German group Humedica, Operation Blessing recently provided medical clinics at three refugee camps. Four hundred patients were treated per day. Babies received much needed inoculations. Operation Blessing has provided funding for the construction of permanent medical clinics at two refugee camps. Humedica is operating a school for 1,300 children. With no end in sight to the Darfur humanitarian crisis, Christians and their partners do what they can to bring help and hope in the midst of an African tragedy.