For Immediate Release
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today congratulated Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Abdallah, Medical Treatment Director of the Amel Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture in Sudan, who will receive the 2007 Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Human Rights Award from Senator Edward Kennedy this morning in Washington, DC. Dr. Ahmed, who treats torture survivors in Darfur, has worked tirelessly to create a network of health providers to care for victims of torture and sexual violence, which has become a hallmark of the brutal genocide in Darfur.
"Dr. Ahmed’s receipt of this prestigious honor sends a powerful message to governments around the world that much more must be done to protect the human rights of civilians in Darfur,” stated Frank Donaghue, Chief Executive Officer of PHR. "PHR continues to call on the UN Security Council to ensure that the people of Darfur can finally be safe from the gross abuses that Dr. Ahmed and his colleagues are trying to heal every day.”
PHR has worked closely with local partners like Dr. Ahmed to address the human rights crisis that continues to unfold in the region, especially on the critical issue of sexual violence.
"His tireless and courageous work to assist and treat those who have survived torture and sexual violence should serve as an inspiration for donors and governments to fully address the pandemic of rape and torture Darfur’s civilian population has suffered,” said Donaghue.
The Amel Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture in Sudan provides legal, psychological and medical services to victims of torture and sexual violence. Physicians for Human Rights has provided training to the Amel Center on how to properly document sexual violence and torture for legal prosecution. Impressed by the commitment of the Amel Center staff, PHR nominated Dr. Mohammed Ahmed both for his extraordinary talents and dedication, as well as to highlight the critical work of the organization.
PHR's Darfur Survival Campaign mobilizes health professionals, students, and members of the general public to press for urgently needed security in Darfur, including augmented African Union troops and a UN peacekeeping force of 20,000, as authorized by UN Security Council Resolution 1706. In addition, the Campaign insists on compensation and restitution for survivors.
PHR’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the people of Darfur are supported by research conducted in three investigations in the region. Investigators traveled to the Chad-Sudan border to interview survivors of the genocidal attacks and to Darfur to document the devastation of three villages. Their findings are presented in two reports, The Use of Rape as a Weapon of War in the Conflict in Darfur, and Darfur – Assault on Survival: A Call for Security, Restitution and Justice.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.