*Ø* Major Darfur appeal launched

"LONDON (AlertNet) - An umbrella organisation of Britain's largest aid agencies appeals to the public for money to help thousands of people forced to flee their homes in Darfur, western Sudan.

"The appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) will go towards providing shelter, clean water and basic necessities for displaced people in Sudan and across the border in Chad.

"Fighting in Darfur has driven more than one million people from their homes.

"After years of conflict between Arab nomads and African farmers, rebels took up arms last year, accusing Khartoum of arming Janjaweed to loot and burn African villages in a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

"A DEC statement said thousands of people were arriving every day at camps in Darfur with nothing but the clothes they stood up in ...

"'Floodwaters from recent rains are washing human and animal waste into water sources, raising fears of outbreaks of disease such as cholera and diarrhoea,' said the statement."
Source and full text

Khartoum 'backs Darfur militias'

"A human rights group says it has proof that Sudan's government has been supporting Arab militias accused of killing thousands in Darfur.

"New York-based Human Rights Watch says it has government documents showing that officials directed recruitment, arming and support of the Janjaweed.

"The government in Khartoum has denied any involvement with the militia."
Source and full text: BBC