| Carolina
Alum Fights African Strife
by Vanessa Crowl
UN representative and UNC-CH alumnus Mark
McCarthy knows all about the suffering in
Darfur. He just spent four months
in the region.
The current conflict in western Sudan has
produced what some call the world’s
worst humanitarian crisis. Rebels claim the
government has ties to Janjaweed, the Arabic
group accused of ethnic cleansing in large
areas of Africa. The UN has stopped short
of classifying the situation as genocide,
while an estimated 2 million people have
fled their homes.
McCarthy’s job is to find these refugees
so others with the UN can provide food, water
and materials.
“[We are] gathering information about
new villages, settlements, and again, people
on the move, large gatherings of displaced
people, and we generate maps to make
sure everyone can find who they’re
looking for,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy is heading back to Sudan Friday.
His next leave will be in four months.
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