[In the Field] Mia Farrow: Djorlo Village, Eastern Chad

UNICEF/ HQ07-0130/Pirozzi Burned and looted homes stand empty in an abandoned village.

Today we went to what had been the village of Djorlo, population 2,000.

At about 5:00 am last December, the Janjaweed attacked Djorlo from three directions.

The villagers tried to defend their homes with bows and arrows, but were no match for the Janjaweed with their Kalashnikovs.

The entire village was burnt and 48 people were killed.

It's difficult to describe the impact of walking through such mindless destruction. Home after home utterly devastated. In the ashes of Djorlo, we found remnants of everyday life; shattered pots, cooking ware, a blackened bed, charred boxes. Even the clay storage pots had been deliberately smashed to destroy precious food supplies.

After the attack, some of the villagers returned to bury their dead. We found three mass graves.

The survivors of Djorlo are now living in one of the many makeshift camps scattered across eastern Chad.

Aid workers are trying to meet the needs of this increasingly abandoned population. But due to the extreme volatile situation, humanitarian organizations have been forced to scale back in their numbers, severely limiting their capacity to help.

Until some semblance of security can come to this region, even the most basic needs of the people will not be met.