Dar·fur /dɑːˈfʊə $ dɑːrˈfʊr/
a region of western Sudan that entered a state of humanitarian emergency following a war that started in 2003. One side in The War in Darfur is made up mainly of the Sudanese army and a militia group called Janjaweed. The other side is made up of various rebel groups such as the Sudan Liberation Group and the Justice and Equality Movement. The war was started not only for political reasons, but also caused by environmental problems such as overpopulation and drought. The United Nations thinks that as many as 400,000 people may have died in the fighting and from disease. By October 2006, it was believed that as many as 2.5 million people may have been displaced. The UN and powerful countries have been criticized for not doing enough to prevent the sitaution in Darfur from becoming worse.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲