Vatican City - On Sunday, 17 June, an ACT-Caritas employee was shot and killed on his way home from work.

The employee, Adam Adam, was a guard and a pump operator at a water point in Khamsa Degaig camp for internally displaced persons in Zalingei, West Darfur. The deceased was also one of the local leaders in the camp.

This killing follows a spate of attacks in the camps around Zalingei. Since the beginning of June, five camp residents have been shot and killed, huts have been set on fire, people have been beaten, and women are being assaulted almost daily. Hijackings of vehicles belonging to the UN and other international organisations also continue.

On his way home from work Sunday evening, Mr. Adam was ordered to stop by three unidentified men in civilian clothes. After refusing to stop, one of the three men shot him three times at point blank range. The guard died immediately.

The incident was witnessed by three women on their way to the water point. People in the camp tried to react, but the attackers fired shots into the crowd, dispersing them and allowing the gunmen to escape.

The security situation in and around Zalingei, where some 100,000 people have amassed in camps in search of safety and some little sustenance, has continued to deteriorate over the past year. People are still arriving in the camps every day.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of life of one of our local staff members, Mr. Adam Adam, in West Darfur. We extend our prayers, sympathy and support to his family," said John Nduna, director of the Geneva-based coordinating office of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) International.

The victim was buried Monday. ACT-Caritas officials will meet with the deceased's family to discuss how to support the family. An investigation is ongoing.

Action by Churches Together International (ACT) and Caritas Internationalis (CI) are working together in a joint response to the Darfur crisis.

ACT International is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.

Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organizations present in 200 countries and territories.

For more information, contact: Callie Long, ACT International + 41 22 791 6039

Nancy McNally, Caritas Internationalis +39 06 69879752 Mobile: +39 334 2344 136