Millions of people have been made homeless by fighting

Oxfam is making a big appeal for humanitarian aid to Darfur and neighbouring Chad, where millions of people have been made homeless by fighting. The international aid agency wants to raise US$10m for what it calls 'the world's greatest humanitarian crisis'. Anu Anand reports:

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It says malnutrition rates are close to emergency levels and is calling on the public to donate money for clean water, medicine and sanitation.

At least two hundred thousand people have been killed and two million displaced during the four year conflict between rebel groups and the pro-Sudanese Jangaweed militia.

The Oxfam appeal follows a joint-venture by the United States Holocaust Museum in Washing DC and the online mapping service, Google Earth, to halt what they see as genocide.

Anu Anand, BBC World Affairs Correspondent

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neighbouring
near by, close by, next to

dependent on
relying on, counting on, needing to survive

malnutrition rates
the percentage or number of people who are not eating enough of the right types of food to stay healthy

sanitation
a type of system that's designed to keep a place hygienic and clear of sewage and other types of waste

displaced
someone who is 'displaced' has been forced to leave his or her own native area or country

appeal
serious, urgent and public request for something, in this case, money

a joint-venture
a project or business which two or more organisations or individuals are responsible for and share

online mapping service
a way to get maps or plans of mainly city areas on the internet

halt
stop, end, prevent a continuation of or increase in

genocide
the mass killing or murder of an entire group of people from the same community or race so that they no longer exist

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