NYALA, Darfur -- When Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March, he responded by expelling 13 international aid agencies from Darfur and disbanding three other domestic relief groups. Khartoum claims the organizations were sharing information with the ICC, which both the groups and the court deny. With the void left by the ousted organizations, the United Nations has instituted emergency measures to help provide food, water, and other vital aid. But one service remains virtually decimated: support for rape survivors.

The generals are deaf. As everyone now knows, the regime was warned by weather forecasters in India two days before the cyclone arrived--five days before by forecasters in Thailand--and it refused to listen.

Regarding the nomination of Bernard Kouchner to head France's Ministry of Foreign Affiars, I think first of France, of the image she has of herself, then what she shows the world. The arrival of Kouchner--this great Frenchman, respected everywhere, the man who invented Médecins sans frontières (Doctors without Borders) and Médecins du monde (Doctors of the World), the famous "French Doctors"--at the Quai d'Orsay is obviously good news.