Rumiko Seya, Secretary General of the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention

How can we identify what aid is truly needed?

I am now in Sudan, in North Africa. From here, I will report on conditions in Sudan and the problems this nation is facing.

Rumiko Seya

Born in Gunma Prefecture in 1977. Graduated from Chuo University and received an MA in Conflict Resolution from the University of Bradford in the UK. Specialist in post-conflict peacebuilding and reintegration of ex-combatants into society. In the past she held various positions in conflict areas, such as NGO staff (Rwanda), UN volunteer (Sierra Leone), Special Assistant to the Ambassador (Japanese Embassy, Afghanistan), and UN Peacekeeping Operations staff (Côte d'Ivoire). She became Secretary General of the JCCP in April 2007.

JCCP's website http://www.jccp.gr.jp/

There has been a long-running conflict between northern and southern Sudan and military conflict in Darfur, a region to the west, has caused tremendous suffering to the people there. As I'm now visiting the northern and southern parts of the country, I'll focus on this conflict.

As we learned in issue 44 of Peace Seeds, this conflict broke out in 1983 between the north, where many Muslims live in the vicinity of the capital, and the south, where many Christians live. One cause of this conflict was the south's resistance to government policy pushed by the north, which tried to impose Muslim laws in the south. Another factor was a dispute over profits from oil production in the south.

The conflict raged for 22 years until a peace agreement was signed in 2005. Both sides agreed that the south would control its own territory to some extent and that they would share half of the oil profits with the north.

However, a peace agreement doesn't automatically bring recovery. Particularly in the south, many towns and villages were destroyed during the long war and people are still suffering from poverty. There are enormous problems of the kind we have looked at in previous columns.

Children at a refugee camp for displaced people in southern Sudan. (Photo by Rumiko Seya, February 2009)

People who fled from the fighting are now gradually returning home, but in many cases their houses are in ruins and finding a place to live is hard. Schools, too, have been reduced to rubble and many children are unable to receive an acceptable education. Orphans in cities, whose parents were killed in the conflict, are often forced to live on the streets.

Drinking contaminated water and living in unsanitary conditions due to a lack of clean water and toilets is a prime cause of illness, even death, among the population, and children in particular. Although the land is fertile, they are unable to produce sufficient food due to a lack of seed and farm machinery.

Political troubles also affect the people. Because soldiers were needed for the war, military expenditure snowballed and the government became unable to afford other essential projects and services for ordinary citizens. Several tribal disputes over livestock and lands continue, sometimes leading to armed conflict, but the police don't have the capacity to patrol these areas because of a lack of vehicles and equipment.

Amid such difficult conditions, a variety of UN organizations and NGOs are working in the south to provide support for health care, medical treatment, reconstruction, and other needs. A number of foreign governments, including the Japanese government, are contributing funds for these activities. However, because Sudan is the largest country in Africa, delivering assistance to the entire south is very difficult.

Imagine that you are here in Sudan in these conditions, like me. And let's say you have a million yen (about $10,000) to give. Responding to everyone's needs is impossible, but you want to offer your aid for an especially urgent need. How would you contribute your money? Please tell me what you think!