Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T01:31:06.872Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Changes in Mortality Rates and Humanitarian Conditions in Darfur, Sudan 2003–2007

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Richard Garfield*
Affiliation:
Henrik H. Bendixen Professor of Clinical International Nursing, School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA Visiting Professor, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Jonny Polonsky
Affiliation:
Epidemiologist, Health and Nutrition Tracking Service (HNTS), Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
*
Columbia University, 617 West 168th Street, Room 262, New York, New York 10032, USA E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The Darfur region of Sudan has been an intense focus of humanitarian concern since rebellions began there early in 2003. In 2004, the US Secretary of State declared that conflict in Darfur represented genocide. Since 2003, many sample surveys and various mortality estimates for Darfur have been made. Nonetheless, confusion and controversy surrounding mortality levels and trends have continued. For this project, results were reviewed from the highest quality field surveys on mortality in Darfur conducted between 2003 and 2008. Trend analysis demonstrated a dramatic decline in mortality over time in Darfur. By 2005, mortality levels had fallen below emergency levels and have continued to decline. Deaths directly due violence have declined as a proportion of all of the deaths in Darfur. Declining mortality in Darfur was not associated with other proximate improvements in well-being, such as improved nutrition. Without large-scale, humanitarian intervention, continuing high rates of mortality due to violence likely would have occurred. If mortality had continued at the high rate documented in 2004, by January 2009, there would have been 330,000 additional deaths. With the humanitarian assistance provided through the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, these people are alive today. A focus on excess deaths among non-combatants may draw attention away from other needs, such as establishing better security, improving service delivery to the displaced, and advocating for internally displaced persons to be reached today and to re-establish their lives and livelihoods tomorrow.

Type
Original Research
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Lynch, C: “Rights Group Says Sudan's Government Aided Militias” Washington Post 20 July 2004.Google Scholar
2.BBC: UN's Darfur death estimate soars. 14 March 2005.Google Scholar
3.US Department of State: Darfur: A ‘Plan B’ to Stop Genocide? Available at http://www.state.gov/p/af/rls/rm/82941.htm.Google Scholar
4.Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED): Darfur: Counting the Deaths: Mortality Estimates from Multiple Survey Data. Brussels: 26 May 2005.Google Scholar
5.CNN: UN: 100,000 more dead in Darfur than reported. CNN. Available at http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/22/darfur.holmes/index.ht ml?eref=rss_topstories.Google Scholar
6.Macfarquhar, N, Simons, M: Bashir Defies War Crime Arrest Order. New York Times 05 March 2009.Google Scholar
7.Checchi, F, Roberts, L: HPN Network Paper 52: Interpreting and using mortality data in humanitarian emergencies: A primer for non-epidemiologists. Overseas Development http://www.odihpn.org/documents/networkpaper052.pdf.Google Scholar
8.Sphere Standards, drawn from Checchi, F, Roberts, L: Interpreting and using mortality data in humanitarian emergencies: A primer for non-epidemiologists. Humanitarian Practice Network 2005;52.Google Scholar
9.Grandesso, F, Sanderson, F, Kruijt, J, Koene, T, Brown, V: Mortality and malnutrition among populations living in South Darfur, Sudan. JAMA 2005;293(12):14901494.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Depoortere, E, Checchi, F, Broillet, F, Gerstl, S, Minetti, A, Gayraud, O, Briet, V, Pahl, J, Defourny, I, Tatay, M, Brown, V: Violence and mortality in West Darfur, Sudan (2003-2004): Epidemiologic evidence from four surveys. Lancet 364(9442):13151320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.WHO, Epiet. Retrospective Mortality Survey Among the Internally Displaced Population, Greater Darfur, Sudan, August 2004. Sept 15, 2004. Available at http://www.who.int/disasters/repo/14656.pdf. Accessed 13 June 2008.Google Scholar
12. , , Federal Ministry of Health Sudan: Mortality survey among internally displaced persons and other affected populations in greater Darfur, Sudan. 2005.Google Scholar
13. , : Emergency nutrition assessment of crisis affected populations, Darfur Region, Sudan. August-September 2004.Google Scholar
14. , : Emergency food security and nutrition assessment in Darfur, Sudan 2005. Final report. March 2006.Google Scholar
15. , : Emergency food security and nutrition assessment in Darfur, Sudan 2006. Final report. April 2007.Google Scholar
16. , . Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment in Darfur, Sudan 2007. Not yet published.Google Scholar
17. Humanitarian briefing for on Darfur for the UN Security Council Mission in Sudan, June 3-5, 2008.Google Scholar
18. Reeves: E: How many in Darfur have died? Available at http://www.dissentmagazine. org/atw.php?id=147. Accessed 13 November 2010.Google Scholar