More broadly, other worries are increasing armed clashes between and among armed groups representing differing tribal, ethnic and political groupings, which are prompting the new cycle of displacements, as well as increased tensions within camps for the displaced, as those who have lived there for some time become increasingly politicized and anxious that the political situation within Darfur be settled.
Adding to anxiety within the camps are long-standing fears of attacks and rape by outside militias; idleness and boredom within the camps, particularly by youths with little to do; questions about the critical issue of civilian "protection" and when -- and even if -- it will be safe for the displaced to return to their home villages.
Another dynamic at play: potentially unrealistic hopes that these problems will be quickly ameliorated by the presence of so-called "hybrid" UN and AU forces that are expected to deploy by the beginning of next year, if not sooner. Despite general caution by humanitarian workers about the role of the UN forces, there is a desire that a comprehensive political settlement to Darfur's problems could engender much-needed "humanitarian space" for those who have borne the brunt of the conflict in Darfur -- civilians, and in the main, women and children.
Without such a comprehensive settlement, said one UN official, "there will continue to be an increase in the numbers of those displaced."
In recent months, their ranks have included Mariam, a 40-year-old mother and grandmother who has been living at one of the camps at the edge of Zalingei. The camp is among the sites where the ACT-Caritas program is working.
Speaking under a plastic tarp just as one of the all-too-common morning drizzles of Darfur's rainy season began, Mariam said she was displaced eight months ago by attacks in which husband and son-in-law were killed, forcing her to support a household of six children - five of her own and a grandchild.
She said she would not currently opt to return to her village 93 miles (150 kilometers) away, given continued insecurity in her home region, the free schooling her daughter is now receiving in the camp -- schooling in her village involved school fees that were difficult to pay -- and the need to eke out a living without a male bread-winner.
Mariam's dilemma is all-too common in Darfur, shedding a small glimpse on the ways the conflict has changed the "cosmos" of those displaced, particularly women who, often by necessity, are now challenging the one-time domain of men in local leadership roles.
"Things keep changing," ACT-Caritas' Katherine Ireri said of the fluid social and humanitarian situation in Darfur. As a field coordinator in Nyala, Ireri observes, "Next year we might be talking about something entirely different."
Chris Herlinger, a staffer with ACT member, Church World Service, in the United States, was among those who travelled to Darfur on a visit that ended 3 September. Others in the group represented Christian Aid (Great Britain); the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (United States); and Secours Catholique (France).
Action by Churches Together International (ACT) and Caritas Internationalis (CI) are working together in a joint response to the Darfur crisis. ACT International is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organizations present in 200 countries and territories.
