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Protect displaced

Ottawa Citizen -- It is indeed true that the lives and safety of women and girls in Darfur, Sudan are at great risk, in particular those living in camps for the displaced. They face the danger of sexual violence almost daily, as they leave the relative safety of the camps to search for firewood to cook their food. Over time, they must go farther and farther to gather firewood.

In addition, girls may miss out on education opportunities as they forage for cooking fuel, or because they stay at home to watch younger siblings as their mothers collect firewood. Men and boys dare not leave the camps to collect wood as they might be killed.

The international community must act to protect displaced women and girls, in Darfur and around the world. We can do this by promoting fuel-efficient technologies and alternative fuels to lessen the need for firewood collection (which would also have environmental benefits), by providing safe transportation to firewood collection sites and/or by using peacekeepers to patrol firewood collection routes.

Erin Patrick
Consultant
Women's Commission For Refugee Women and Children