Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the heinous acts in Darfur. To date, almost two and a half million people in Darfur and Chad have been affected by the atrocities and as many as 300,000 individuals have been killed.

I commend the efforts already made to assist the people of Darfur. Millions in aid have been donated worldwide, including $550 million from the United States. Peacekeeping efforts are underway from the African Union, the United Nations, and other organizations. I applaud the Sudanese for their commendable efforts to end the violence by signing the Peace Agreement in January. Unfortunately it is not enough.

Although the humanitarian aid and the peace agreement are steps in the right direction, it has not prevented people from being killed, raped, torn from their homes and left to starve. People are already fighting over water due to drought and a food shortage is imminent.

The international community must take stronger action. I call upon the United Nations Security Council to pass a meaningful resolution in the coming weeks, a resolution that will be consequential in the lives of the people of Darfur. The UN has already described the situation in Darfur as ``the worst humanitarian and human rights situation in the world.'' It is time they treat the situation as such.