Israel earmarks millions for Darfur

Israel reportedly is planning to donate $5 million to Darfur refugees. Ha’aretz reported Wednesday that the aid recommendations must be approved by Foreign Ministry Director-General Aharon Abramovitch and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.The ministry’s Human Rights Department, which submitted the recommendations to Abramovitch, noted that Israel could not operate officially in Chad due to a lack of diplomatic relations but could donate funds. Thousands of refugees have fled from Sudan to bordering Chad.The report suggested giving $4 million to the United Nations Refugee Agency, the U.N. Children’s Fund, the World Food Program and the Red Cross; sending $800,000 of medicine and water-purifying supplies to refugee camps; and donating $150,000 to IsraAID, Ha’aretz reported.This would be a significant increase over last year’s allocation of $200,000. The crisis in Darfur, in which government-backed Arab militias have killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, has drawn $1.81 billion in international aid, Ha’aretz reported.