The United States government will contribute an additional $188.5 million in emergency assistance to help ease the humanitarian crisis in Darfur in western Sudan, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Andrew Natsios, announced June 3.

Speaking at a Darfur donors' conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Natsios said the pledge brings the total U.S. contribution for Darfur to nearly $300 million since February 2003.

The United States has been actively pursuing an end to the fighting in Darfur for more than a year, Natsios said.

The United Nations has estimated that, out of a pre-conflict population in Darfur of 6.5 million people, approximately 1 million have been internally displaced within Sudan and more than 140,000 have fled across the border into neighboring Chad as a result of the conflict.

Even under optimal conditions, the United Nations now estimates, 320,000 people will die.

Following is the text of a USAID press release on the crisis:

The United States announced today (June 3) that it would contribute an additional $188.5 million for the humanitarian crisis in Darfur in western Sudan. The pledge, which brings the total U.S. contribution for Darfur to nearly $300 million since February 2003, was announced by Andrew S. Natsios, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), at the Darfur donors' conference at the United Nations in Geneva.

The United States has been actively pursuing an end to the fighting in Darfur for over a year. The United Nations has estimated that, out of a pre-conflict population in Darfur of 6.5 million people, approximately one million have been internally displaced within Sudan and more than 140,000 have fled across the border into neighboring Chad as a result of the conflict. Even under optimal conditions, it is now estimated that 320,000 people will die.

"The grave situation that has unfolded in western Sudan in recent months is indeed the worst humanitarian crisis on the world," said Administrator Natsios in his statement Thursday at the donors' conference.

"Three things are required to contain the size of this disaster: more resources, unimpeded access to affected populations, and most importantly security. Both parties must adhere to each and every provision of the ceasefire agreement signed in Chad in April. Specifically, the Sudanese government must stop the janjaweit militia's atrocities and violence now, as they committed themselves to do when they signed the agreement."

Natsios acknowledged recent steps by the Sudanese government to ease travel restrictions on humanitarian aid workers, but said that these measures were not sufficient. "While the government of Sudan has lifted some restrictions, they have imposed new ones that still impede our efforts. We face enormous bureaucratic hurdles to get in essential equipment such as vehicles and communications gear, and non-governmental organizations are still having difficulties getting visas for their personnel. These delay tactics are slowing the international community's efforts. If we cannot get aid into Darfur immediately, people will begin dying in large numbers. There is little time left to act."

Since February 2003, the United States has provided nearly $100 million in assistance for Darfur. This includes over 81,000 metric tons of emergency food assistance, including wheat, corn-soya blend, and vegetable oil, through the World Food Programme (WFP) and over $22 million to various international and non-governmental organizations, including UNICEF, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Last month alone the U.S. airlifted into Darfur enough plastic sheeting to provide temporary shelter for up to 250,000 displaced persons, and delivered 30,000 metric tons of wheat to the country through the WFP.

Over the past year, USAID has deployed experts to Sudan and eastern Chad to assess the extent of the Darfur crisis, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and work with the U.N. and other partners on the ground in Sudan. In April, the agency deployed a disaster assistance response team (DART) to Sudan after the signing of a ceasefire between the government of Sudan and the Darfur opposition groups.