Darfur to Receive $3.7 Billion Recovery Fund from International Donors

Darfur needs $7 billion for rehabilitation. Foreign donors met in Doha and raised an initial $3.7 billion in pledges.
On Sunday, April 7, hundreds of international delegates gathered in Doha, Qatar to discuss the aid package to war-stricken Darfur, a region in Sudan. The main objective of the two-day conference which began on Sunday was to raise the financial aid needed by Darfur, to rebuild the area and finance its food, clean water and infrastructure projects. So far, an initial $3.7 billion had been pledged to start Darfur’s development and restoration. The pledge forms part of the $7 billion development requirement as estimated by the Darfur Development Strategy. The initial financial aid will be disbursed over a period of six years.

Spearheading countries

Great Britain took the leading role on Sunday, with a pledge of $16.5 million even before the conference began. The pledge will provide Darfur with $16.5 million annually for three years, which will include skills training so people can eventually be gainfully employed and seed money for the residents to grown their own food and not wait for food aids. Qatar has pledged $500 million worth of contributions and grants. The biggest donor is Sudan, offering $2.7 billion. Europe pledged $35 million. The United Nations estimates that Darfur will need about $170 million each year for the next six years for its rehabilitation.

Of the estimated $7 billion, $5 billion is allotted for restorations, $1.5 billion for economic support, and less than $1 billion for governance and justice. The DDS says that the amount will first go to humanitarian aid but will switch to economic improvements in the latter phase of development.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) did not pledge anew because it is a regular contributor to international restoration funds and is currently helping Darfur. The African Development Bank is evaluating the amounts required by infrastructure repairs and may add to the required amount given by DDS.

International Donor Conference

The International Donor Conference for Darfur was held on April 7 – 8, 2013 and in Doha, Qatar. The conference is part of the ongoing implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD). The DDPD is an agreement between liberation movements, governments, and stakeholders to restore peace and stability in Darfur. It was participated by 40 countries such as Sudan, America, United Kingdom, China, Russia, Japan, Arabian and Islamic countries, Africa, Kuwait, and the UN. Aside from the donor countries, national and international non-government officials were also present, along with the development banking sector from different nations.

Darfur Conflicts

The global conference is held ten years after the internal conflict in Darfur started. It was a conflict that originally started as land disputes between those engaged in sedentary agriculture and semi-nomadic livestock herders. Today the civil war had elevated to become a conflict between rebel groups composed of Justice and Equality Movement or JEM and SML/A or the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, joined by non-Arab Muslim ethnic groups such as Masalit, Zaghawa and Fur and the official military and police forces of Sudan and a Sudanese militia group called Janjaweed. As with any armed civil conflicts, thousands of civilians are caught in between the warring groups.

The Liberation and Justice Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement have signed the peace treaty yet other rebel groups have declined. Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s president, was charged with genocide.

Aid monitoring

Al Mahmoud, the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar, mentions in his speech that the Sudanese government must ensure the successful accomplishment of the DDPD. He also stressed that the funds must be monitored and used competently. Qatar will manage the project for one more year and ensure that the pledges are realized. The council of Qatar will also find ways to meet the entire $7 billion required by Darfur.