 |
The Humanitarian Situation in Sudan
Background
In 2008, Sudan continues to cope with the effects of conflict, displacement, and insecurity countrywide. Since 2003, a
complex emergency in Sudan’s western region of Darfur has affected 4.2 million people, including more than 2.4
million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In Darfur, fighting among armed opposition factions, the Sudanese Armed
Forces (SAF), militias, and ethnic groups is ongoing. According to the U.N., the clashes have displaced more than
158,000 people within Darfur and to Eastern Chad since January 2008.
The former Government of Sudan and the southern-based Sudan People’s Liberation Movement continue to implement
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) through the joint Government of National Unity (GNU). The GNU was
formed in 2005, when the parties signed the CPA and officially ended more than two decades of conflict between the
north and the south. During the conflict, famine, fighting, and disease killed more than 2 million people, forced an
estimated 600,000 Sudanese to seek refuge in neighboring countries, and displaced 4 million others within Sudan. The
U.N. estimates that approximately 2.1 million people displaced during the conflict have returned to Southern Sudan and
the Three Areas of Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Abyei since 2005, taxing scarce resources and weak
infrastructure. In eastern Sudan, the GNU and the Eastern Front opposition coalition signed the Eastern Sudan Peace
Agreement in 2006, but the area remains underdeveloped and slow to recover from the decades of conflict.
The U.S. Government (USG) is the largest bilateral donor to Sudan and has contributed more than $3 billion for
humanitarian programs in Sudan and eastern Chad since FY 2004. The USG continues to support the implementation
of the CPA and joins the international community in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Darfur. On October
11, 2007, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Alberto M. Fernandez renewed the disaster declaration for the complex emergency in
Sudan for FY 2008.
|
Estimated Numbers Affected | Source |
|---|
| Internally Displaced People in Sudan |
From Southern Sudan: 2.7 million
In Darfur: 2.45 million
In Eastern Sudan: 168,000 |
UNHCR (1)- Nov. 2007
OCHA(2) – January 2008
U.N. Sept. 2007 |
| Sudanese Refugees | From Darfur: 250,000
From Southern Sudan: 255,000 |
UNHCR – Mar. 2008
UNHCR - Dec. 2007 |
| Refugees in Sudan |
From Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, DRC, and others: 215,630 |
UNHCR – Dec. 2007 |
| Humanitarian Funding Provided to Date (FY 2008) | |
| USAID/OFDA(3) Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad | $40,099,566 |
| USAID/FFP(4) Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad | $458,494,800 |
| State/PRM(5) Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad | $80,619,118 |
| Total USAID and State Humanitarian Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad | $579,213,484 |
1 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
2 U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
3 USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
4 USAID’s Office of Food for Peace
5 U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
Current Situation in Darfur
In May, banditry and hijacking of relief vehicles
continued throughout Darfur, further limiting
humanitarian operations. Targeting of humanitarian
staff and non-governmental organization (NGO)
compounds increased, and implementing partners
reported additional incidents of livestock theft and
attacks on empty convoy vehicles as well as increased
impersonation of U.N. staff by bandits.
On May 10, armed forces associated with the Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM) from Darfur attacked
Omdurman, one of the three cities making up the
greater Khartoum area. Fighting occurred in the midst
of the civilian population in the center of the city. In
addition to the deaths of combatants, USAID staff in
Khartoum reported that the violence also killed and
wounded civilians. Following the attack, the GNU
deployed additional security forces throughout the capital and the surrounding region. In addition,
international news media and humanitarian agencies
reported that in the days following the attack on
Khartoum, government forces arrested more than 300
opposition members and citizens of Darfuri origin.
On May 31, the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Richard
S. Williamson, traveled to Nyala in South Darfur to
meet with local government officials, IDPs, members
of the U.N.–African Union Mission in Darfur
(UNAMID), and implementing partners. The Special
Envoy also traveled to Otash IDP camp in South
Darfur, visited NGO program sites, and talked with
IDPs about their experiences.
Security and Humanitarian Access
During May, bureaucratic impediments and insecurity
continued to hamper relief efforts and access
throughout Darfur. Following the May 10 attack on
Khartoum, and the Sudanese government’s subsequent
closure of airports and roads throughout Darfur, relief
agencies reported further reduced access.
On May 13, OCHA reported that bandits had hijacked
125 humanitarian vehicles in Darfur, including 75
trucks contracted by the U.N. World Food Program
(WFP), since early January. As of May 28, at least 50
trucks and 36 drivers remained missing.
Insecurity continues to impact the programs of
implementing partners. On May 27, assailants killed
an NGO staff member in Habila, West Darfur. To date
in 2008, assailants have killed six and abducted nearly
100 humanitarian staff in Darfur. On June 1, unknown
assailants attacked and burned the women’s center run
by CHF International in Kalma IDP camp, South
Darfur. According to USAID staff, the assailants fired
warning shots at the center’s guards and IDPs who
tried to extinguish the fire.
Population Movements
On May 19, OCHA reported that more than 158,000
individuals had been displaced in Darfur since January
2008. Following interethnic clashes and mass
displacement in Sania Afandu in South Darfur from
mid- to late- April, humanitarian agencies expressed
concerns regarding overcrowding in the local IDP
camps. On May 6, the Sudanese government and
NGOs assessed El Sereif IDP camp to determine the
possibility of re-opening the camp for 441 households
from Sania Afandu who were sheltering at Al Salam
camp in Nyala, South Darfur. Participants in the
assessment mission included the GNU Humanitarian
Aid Commission (HAC), the U.N. Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), OCHA, GNU Office of Water and
Environmental Sanitation (WES), CARE, and the
Islamic International Relief Organization, the El Sereif
camp manager. Prior to the assessment, CARE had
determined that the camp’s water infrastructure could
accommodate an additional 3,500 people. During the
week of May 29, the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) assessed El Sereif and subsequently
met with IDP leaders in Al Salam camp regarding
relocation to El Sereif camp. According to USAID
field staff, during early- to mid-June, NGOs plan to
conduct a headcount of the Sania Afandu IDPs in
preparation for a mid-June move to El Sereif camp. In
FY 2008, USAID has funded emergency programs in
Al Salam camp in several humanitarian sectors,
including health, nutrition, food aid, and water,
sanitation, and hygiene.
Health
During the week of May 29, the North Darfur Ministry
of Health (MOH), supported by UNICEF and the U.N.
World Health Organization (WHO), launched a new
phase of the Sudan Accelerated Child Survival
Initiative. The North Darfur initiative will vaccinate
children against polio and measles and provide deworming
tablets, vitamin A supplement, and iodized
oil treatments.
WHO continues to work with international NGOs in
North Darfur to finalize a local preparedness and
response plan for the upcoming rainy season. WHO
assisted implementing partners with identifying highrisk
areas for potential flooding and the expected
impact, as well as producing a resource map that
includes information on affected areas and proposed
interventions.
Food Security
Although WFP’s Darfur-wide ration cuts remain in
place through June, WFP reports that food deliveries
are reaching target levels due to increased activity
from transport companies. In April, the GNU
committed to providing police escorts for WFP
convoys every 48 hours, increasing to every 24 hours
on four key routes. On May 25, GNU Ministry of
Interior officials confirmed that police escorts for
convoys would be available every 48 hours on two
routes to El Fasher, North Darfur, and Nyala, South
Darfur. As of June 4, WFP has been unable to confirm
any increased police escorts for the food convoys. The
international community continues to press the GOS to
fulfill its pledge of additional escorts.
In order to offset the nutritional impact of reduced
rations in May and June, WFP is targeting specific
high-risk areas with blanket supplementary feeding
programs in advance of the annual hunger season,
which typically lasts from June through September. In
North Darfur in particular, approximately 180,000
children under five years old will receive blanket
supplementary rations in the coming months. Aid
agencies are also targeting significant numbers of
children in South and West Darfur.
malnutrition rates could become more widespread.
CURRENT SITUATION IN SUDAN,
EXCLUDING DARFUR
On May 13, fighting between the SAF and the Sudan
People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) broke out in Abyei.
The violence displaced an estimated 50,000 people,
caused significant damage to Abyei town
infrastructure, and resulted in the evacuation of more
than 250 U.N. and NGO staff members. Although the
U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reported that the
SAF and SPLA reached an agreement for an
immediate cessation of hostilities in the Abyei area on
May 18, U.N. staff and implementing partners reported
a renewal of heavy fighting. According to the U.N.,
the situation in Abyei remains tense with houseburning
and looting ongoing.
An initial U.N. interagency assessment of the area
identified a need for food, shelter, water, and health
services. U.N. agencies and NGOs are distributing
food and providing health care and clean water to the
displacement population. According to the U.N., two
distribution sites have been established in Agok in
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, and additional sites
were established to address the needs of 18 villages
currently sheltering displaced families. On June 1, two
security incidents forced humanitarian agencies to
suspend activities north of Agok, according to OCHA.
On June 5, OCHA reported that NGOs had completed
food distributions in accessible areas of Agok.
Security and Humanitarian Access
The conflict in Abyei has also resulted in heightened
political tensions throughout the Three Areas and
along the north–south border. Supply routes from
northern Sudan to Abyei and Warab and Unity states
were cut off during the fighting, impeding the delivery
of food aid and emergency relief commodities to IDPs.
As a result, humanitarian agencies are revising
contingency plans to support the humanitarian
operation from southern routes.
Since May 14, relief agencies have been able to assess
IDP sites south of the Kiir in Abyei; however most
areas north of the river, including the town of Abyei,
remain inaccessible. The onset of seasonal rains in
mid-May has impeded road access to rural areas
throughout Southern Sudan and the Three Areas.
Population Movements
As of June 5, the U.N. has not released the results from
a recent headcount of IDPs from Abyei. During an
assessment trip to the affected areas, USAID field staff
reported that relief agencies were responding quickly
and effectively to the newly displaced populations. In
the coming months, agencies plan to assess IDPs
intentions to remain in the Agok area or to move to
other locations, which will inform planning for a
longer-term response.
According to the U.N. Mission in Sudan Returns,
Reintegration, and Recovery (UNMIS RRR) section,
during the week of May 22, staff from the Adventist
Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and IOM in
Kosti tracked spontaneous overland returns and
revealed a 50 percent increase in returns compared to
the previous week. A total of 829 people passed
through the transit hub, identifying principal
destinations of Southern Kordofan and Upper Nile
states. Organized return convoys ended by May 20,
due to insecurity, road blockages, and the onset of
seasonal rains. On May 31, UNMIS RRR reported
that 2.1 million individuals have returned to Southern
Sudan and the Three Areas, of which approximately
200,000 people returned under the organized returns
programs. The U.N. estimates that approximately
27,000 IDPs or refugees have returned since January 1.
In addition, according to UNHCR, March and April
had the highest number of refugee returns from nearby
Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. USAID continues to
support humanitarian interventions in Southern Sudan,
eastern Sudan, and the Three Areas in a variety of
sectors. In addition, State/PRM continues to support
international organizations and NGOs implementing
return and reintegration activities in several states in
South Sudan.
Health
According to a report released by the MOH and WHO,
the Abuzabad area in Northern Kordofan State reached
the meningitis epidemic threshold during the first week
of May. Between January and May 2008, a total of
262 cases of suspected meningitis with 10 deaths were
reported in northern Sudan. USAID field staff note
that vaccines, rapid test kits, and meningitis kits are
centrally available in Sudan, and staff are monitoring
the situation in Northern Kordofan. Since mid-May,
Sudanese heath agencies have been conducting
meningitis surveillance activities in the state.
Food Security and Livelihoods
Between May 19 and 21, a USAID team visited Aweil,
Nyamlel, and Malualkon in Northern Bahr el Ghazal
State. The team held meetings with U.N. agencies and
NGO partners to discuss the state’s ongoing
malnutrition and food insecurity problems.
Malnutrition rates are chronically high in Northern
Bahr el Ghazal between the start of the seasonal rains
in April/June and the main sorghum harvest in
September/October. However, relief organizations
reported that malnutrition rates in the state are
deteriorating as compared to previous years and will
require increased interventions.
USAID implementing partner Concern Worldwide
reported an increase in admissions to supplementary
feeding programs in Aweil North and Aweil West
counties, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, in comparison to
2007. In response to higher rates of malnutrition,
strained household resources, and the approaching
Sudan Complex Emergency – June 6, 2008
hunger gap period, Concern is expanding nutrition
programs and WFP is implementing a blanket
supplementary feeding program that will target Aweil
East County and areas with significant IDP and
returnee populations. According to WFP, food
security conditions deteriorated during April with
vulnerable household running out of food earlier than
normal, signaling an earlier start to the June to
September hunger gap period. Humanitarian staff cite
several key factors that have resulted in the state’s
current food insecurity: the 2007 drought that preceded
flooding and the destruction of the sorghum harvest;
conflict along the border that reduced transport of
commercial and food aid commodities; population
increase due to returns and the accompanying increase
in competition for scarce resources; inaccurate
population estimates that preclude proper planning
among the government or aid agencies; lack of seed
and tools; and small family plots that typically yield
only a three-month food supply.
To address chronic food insecurity, USAID is funding
seed and tool distribution mainly for returnees,
procuring seeds locally from small farmers, and other
agricultural programs that will assist households in
growing more food to feed their families. In addition,
USAID is funding construction and rehabilitation of
water points to increase access to safe drinking water
and reduce the rate of diarrhea and other water-borne
diseases that are causal factors for malnutrition.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
On May 22, a USAID team visited three sites in
Malualkon, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, where USAID
funds are supporting IOM’s construction of hand-dug
wells. USAID staff reported that IOM used effective
selection and targeting techniques for each of the three
communities hosting the hand-dug well project. Given
the scarce water availability in the area, USAID staff
are concerned that access to safe drinking water will
remain a significant need for communities slated for
reintegration and recovery.
USAID reconstruction programs support the establishment of a foundation for a just and durable peace with the broad participation of the Sudanese people. Activities focus on supporting the peace process, democracy and governance, education, health, and economic growth.
USAID humanitarian programs work to meet immediate needs while simultaneously transitioning to longer-term reconstruction and development activities in areas outside of Darfur. Priorities include assisting individuals displaced by conflict, providing basic services in traditionally underserved areas, and improving food security through increased agricultural production.
USAID food assistance accounted for over 80 percent of the commitments to the UN World Food Program in 2005, and supports ongoing programs with the Red Cross and other nongovernmental organizations. As the leading donor of food assistance to Sudan, USAID targets food aid commodities to the most vulnerable, with particular emphasis on women and children.
USAID Sudan Strategy Statement (pdf,469kb)
USAID Monthly Update - November 2007 (pdf,505kb)
|
