THE IMPOVERISHED EAST

The situation in eastern Sudan has generated little media attention, and sufferings of the easterners have received little international support.

The east is one of the poorest regions in Sudan, even though it is home to the country's largest gold mine and its major oil pipeline.

A joint U.N. survey carried out in 2005 found that nearly half the population in Kassala is chronically malnourished. And the United Nations Children's Fund reported in 2003 that the infant mortality rate in Red Sea state was the highest in the country.

The Beja, who number 2.4 million, are the largest ethnic group in eastern Sudan and one of the largest ethnic groups in the country. They are Muslims and live as semi-nomads in an extremely undeveloped region.