As we approach World Refugee Day, over 5 million Sudanese civilians are internally displaced or living as refugees. We urge you to continue exercising US leadership at the UN Security Council to address their urgent needs and help prevent further displacement of civilians in Sudan.

With violent clashes rising and the referendum for Southern secession approaching, the UNSC must improve security for displaced people in Darfur and the South.

As you recently noted, a increase in violence has led to rising displacement throughout Sudan. UNAMID is now nearly 90% deployed, yet it still struggles to fulfill its mandate of protecting Darfuri civilians. In the South, UNMIS will face new challenges surrounding the January 2011 referendum.

We therefore encourage you to work through the UNSC to:

· Improve UNAMID's effectiveness in protecting civilians, especially with the renewal of the force's mandate this July;
· Improve protection for aid workers, as operations in Darfur are increasingly threatened by widespread insecurity;
· Support work by aid and UN agencies to improve IDP livelihoods, as well as their voluntary return once safe conditions emerge;
· Monitor the implementation of UNMIS's protection mandate, noting attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army and increased interethnic violence in the South; and,
· Improve the security situation in the South ahead of the referendum and encourage parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to refrain from violence.

Sudan's refugees in eastern Chad also require urgent attention. As the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad withdraws, the UNSC must ensure security and aid for these refugees.

Over 270,000 Sudanese refugees reside in camps in the unstable border area of eastern Chad. Sexual and gender-based violence remains one of the area's main human rights challenges. The camps rely on the relief efforts of aid groups, which depend on MINURCAT to provide security. As MINURCAT withdraws its military component, it is crucial that its responsibilities are effectively transferred to Chadian forces.

We urge you to:

· Ensure the UNSC monitors the security situation in eastern Chad;
· Support preparations by the UN, aid groups and the Chadian government to address security gaps during the transition, including supporting the Chadian government and MINURCAT to bolster the Détachement Integeré de Sécurité and increase the capacity of the national police force.

The US and the UNSC must prioritize the human rights of Sudanese refugees seeking safety in Egypt, the US and elsewhere.

Refugees who flee Sudan for Egypt face a myriad of threats to their human rights. The Egyptian government offers no support to Suanese refugees, and sends refugees back to Sudan where they will likely face detention, torture, or even death. The pattern of denying Sudanese refugees access to legal representation or UNHCR's representatives is troubling.

The US should press Egypt to respect the 1951 Refugee Convention, end the border shootings of unarmed refugees, and cease the deportation of refugees when they face imminent threat of persecution in their home countries.

We call on the Obama administration to work to improve the situation for Sudanese refugees in the U.S., who often receive inadequate support after they arrive. The administration should develop a plan to resettle more Sudanese in the US, support the integration of refugee communities into American society, and continue financial and diplomatic support for UNHCR to help protect refugees.

As advocates, we welcome your leadership in working to end the conflict in Darfur and support peace and justice in Sudan. We are hopeful that with your leadership as the US representative to the UNSC, we can work together to help better the lives of Sudanese civilians and create an environment of peace and justice in Sudan.

**The Hunger Site is a member of the Save Darfur Coalition.