The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called upon Catholics to assist in what he called "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world" in Sudan.

In a letter to the U.S. Bishops, Bishop Wilton Gregory asked all dioceses' to "offer special prayers for our brothers and sisters in Sudan" and to consider assisting the refugees financially.

In Los Angeles, Msgr. Royale M. Vadakin, Moderator of the Curia and Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, has asked local parishes to designate Sunday, Aug. 29 as a day of prayer and assistance for the people of Sudan.

"I know that we all have been touched by the anguish which the people of the Darfur Region of the Sudan are suffering," wrote Msgr. Vadakin. "Presently, tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees are in camps. They face the lack of food, water, as well as adequate shelter."

The conflict in the western Darfur region of Sudan has its roots in early 2003 when the rebel groups the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudanese Liberation Army, comprised of largely black African villagers, complained of discrimination against their people by the government.

The Arab militias known as the Janjaweed, retaliated by raiding villages and killing, kidnapping and raping, looting and burning down the communities.

Bishop John Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla., who met with displaced persons in Darfur during an Aug. 1-5 visit to Sudan, said a small contingent of African Union troops that arrived in Darfur in mid-August will do little to protect civilians from further violence. On his return to the United States, he requested a meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell and urged a series of steps to relieve the crisis in Sudan.

In his Aug. 19 letter to Powell, Bishop Ricard recommended that:

---The United States and the United Nations work together to immediately deploy human rights monitors to the region.

---President Bush appoint a special envoy and coordinator for U.S. policy.

---The United States and the international community continue to insist that the Sudanese government allow unfettered humanitarian relief efforts; immediately end government attacks on civilian targets and punish such attacks by others; and accept responsibility to safeguard its own citizens.

Bishop Ricard also outlined steps he said the U.S. government and the international community should take to protect civilians and refugees, including providing logistical, financial and political support.

The United Nations estimates that over 50,000 people have been killed in the ethnic cleansing and at least 1.2 million Sudanese have been displaced by the conflict.

Over 200,000 people have fled the country to refugee camps in neighboring Chad with more expected to make the journey.

Those who have not made it to Chad are in the greatest danger because "these people are not covered by international refugee laws and have very little protection," said Caroline Brennan, communications associate for sub-Saharan Africa for Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

CRS is currently supporting three refugee camps in Chad that provide services for nearly 40,000 refugees, and is involved in setting up humanitarian services for the displaced remaining in Sudan.

"The situation is Darfur is very dangerous," said Brennan. "The latest word is that the government is forcing refugees to return to their villages, which is extremely dangerous for the refugees because they're going back into militia areas. Darfur is the size of Texas and people are very spread out so is difficult to get assistance to them."

In talks with the Sudanese government and rebel leaders on Aug. 23, the African Union called on Sudan to disarm the Janjaweed Arab militias and to allow an African Union peacekeeping force of 2,000 Nigerian and Rwandan troops to deploy to Darfur.

The United Nations will decide later this week whether the Sudanese government has done enough to ensure the safety of Darfur's people to head off international sanctions.

Catholic News Service contributed to this story. BOX THIS: Aid for Sudan To assist with the CRS effort in Sudan, financial donations can be made to Catholic Relief Services/Sudan Relief, c/o Office of Justice and Peace, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, 3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010.