United Nations in Sudan

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Sudan:

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23 February 2022

Nutrition lays the groundwork for peace

By Leni Kinzli Conflict breeds hunger, it destroys livelihoods, disrupts basic services such as healthcare and education, and forces people from their homes. Mohammed should know – he was forced to flee his village in eastern Sudan after conflict broke out in 1994 between the East Sudan Front and the Sudanese Government. “Besides our family becoming separated, the most difficult thing was leaving our homes and village and not knowing when we would return,” says Mohammed. The signing of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement in 2006 brought an end to conflict but not to hunger. Today, Mohammed’s village of Tahadai Osis is one of the most food-insecure places in eastern Sudan, where over 65 percent of children are affected by stunting (impaired growth and development that children experience as a consequence of poor nutrition). Still, by 2014 Mohammed felt safe enough to return to his village. Seven years on, however, he finds he is struggling to make ends meet. With “no [formal] education it has been very hard for me to provide for my family’s day-to-day needs,” he says. In 2019, the World Food Programme (WFP), with funding from the European Union, launched a project to address the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition in eastern Sudan. Cash assistance was provided to 350 Tahadai Osis residents as they worked on local infrastructure projects such as rehabilitating a school and the school’s farm, repairing a solar-powered water tank, building pipelines to connect the village to clean water, and building flood prevention measures such as earth-retaining walls and soil dams. The community were introduced to poultry farming and educated on the nutritional benefits of eggs which are not traditionally consumed in this region. Some of the eggs are used to make breakfast for children at a nearby WFP-supported school and any surplus is sold on, with profits ploughed back into the farm. Mohammed and his wife Madina have started their own poultry farm which enables them to improve the diets of their three daughters – one of whom suffered from malnutrition before the family sought help at a WFP-supported clinic. “I cook the eggs for my daughters who really like them,” says Madina, “We sell any extra eggs which enables us to buy other basic necessities.” Children aged under-5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women are also screened for malnutrition at a WFP-supported clinic in Tahadai Osis. Those affected are provided with nutritional supplements that are packed with vitamins and minerals and rich in protein. Community volunteers also go door-to-door educating families on the importance of a healthy diet and hygiene measures which help to prevent malnutrition. “Volunteers came to my house and taught me about the importance of screening my children for malnutrition and how to prevent it,” says Madina. “I am now more aware of my family’s health and nutrition needs.” Improving the food security of families like Mohammed’s has contributed to peace and stability in the region and is encouraging others who fled conflict to return to their villages. “WFP has helped us to establish a foundation for our community to thrive,” says Karrar, a poultry-keeper from the village. “Access to clean water supports our livelihood activities and we have learnt how to rear chickens and to grow a variety of vegetables which has improved our diets.” WFP’s activities in Tahadai Osis village are part of a project entitled ’Improving nutrition and reducing stunting in eastern Sudan through an integrated nutrition and food security approach’. This work has been possible thanks to generous contributions from the European Union and the work of WFP’s implementing partner Sudan Vision.

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23 February 2022

A network of care for migrants in Sudan

By Wilson Johwa For the visitors sitting in the covered waiting area outside Khartoum’s Migration Resource and Response Centre (MRRC), this multi-storey building on a busy road is a vital destination. Between January and December 2021, nearly 7,000 visits were received from migrants – mostly from African countries – who sought assistance there. Dr Amna Khairy, one of four MRRC doctors, says if not for the centre, many migrants would have struggled to access health care, in addition to being confronted with higher fees, with no option of free medication. The MRRC also solves the language barrier with dedicated interpreters. COVID-19 presented Dr Khairy and her colleagues with a major challenge in how to reach migrants in need of support, especially after last year’s lockdown. However, among the first innovations was the set-up of phone-based medical consultation through a dedicated Helpline at the MRRC. In other cases, the MRRC team would contact registered patients with chronic diseases via the Helpline to check on their condition. “We distributed prescribed medicines through migrant community leaders and through safe houses,” says Dr Khairy. She and her colleagues later received positive feedback on these extra steps they took to help migrants. “After lockdown, they said, ‘your calls were very helpful, we know there is someone who cares about us.” Sudan is a source, transit, and destination country at the centre of several migration routes. It hosts several migrant populations from countries such as Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, Mauritania, Somalia, and the Philippines. IOM Sudan has three MRRCs that provide a network of care facilities for migrants in vulnerable situations. MRRC Khartoum is the biggest, followed by similar centres in Gedaref State, on the border with Ethiopia, and another in Kassala State, close to border with Eritrea. The three centres also work through a network of partners. In Khartoum, this includes a community safe house catering to the needs of Ethiopian migrants in difficulties.  At MRRC Khartoum, Dr Khairy and the three other doctors provide primary care and refer complex cases to hospitals and other specialized centres. Take Guday Kebede, who had developed problems with her eyesight and could no longer work. “I was almost unable to see,” said the 39-year-old Ethiopian domestic worker. “My eyes had filled with water and after the operation, I can see again,” she said, referring to a procedure arranged through the MRRC. Guday has been living in Khartoum for five years, having arrived in Sudan in search of a better life – for herself and to support her five siblings back in Ethiopia. The MRRC doctors also conduct outreach visits such as on COVID-19 awareness and for the distribution of personal protective equipment. In addition, they provide services to migrants at the two safe houses, and at two government-run facilities for migrants in administrative detention – the Counter-Trafficking Unit and the Aliens Field Inspection Unit. Simachew Admasu, the manager of the Ethiopian safe house, says most of those cared for at the facility are young women who leave home with the promise of a job in the Middle East. Among them is Maritu, 20, who had hoped for a life in Dubai. She will be assisted by the MRRC to return to Ethiopia where she intends setting up a shop, although she has not completely abandoned her dream. “Everyone I know travelled irregularly with no idea of regular migration, and many changed their lives that way,” Maritu says. Further support for migrants in Khartoum is provided by a team of caseworkers from the MRRC who assess migrants’ vulnerabilities. Also on hand is mental health and psychosocial support, with complex cases being referred for more advanced interventions such as post-traumatic stress disorders, psychiatric disorders and depression. Other services offered at the Khartoum MRRC include information on assisted voluntary return and reintegration, as well as outreach visits to support migrants in administrative detention with food assistance and hygiene items or with the payment of school fees for migrant children from economically vulnerable families to prevent them from dropping out of school. Plans are underway to work through MRRC Khartoum to refurbish three primary health centres that also serve migrants. They are all in Khartoum State and work on the first one is due to start soon. The three migrant support centres in Sudan are mainly co-funded by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in the Horn of Africa and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

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22 September 2021

Aspiring to inspire others to contribute to world peace

Since the beginning of 2021, seven UN Volunteers have been deployed with the UN Peacebuilding Fund in Sudan. They are embedded in projects focusing on durable solutions, rule of law, local peacebuilding, women’s participation and natural resource governance. For International Peace Day, we meet two of these UN Volunteers. Through the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), which is the UN’s primary financial instrument to sustain peace in countries at risk of or affected by violent conflict, the UN system is supporting Sudan’s transition towards peace after decades of conflict. UN Volunteers are part of this effort. Godfrey Mukalazi (Uganda) is a UN Volunteer serving with UNDP as a Peacebuilding Project Manager. His contribution falls within Support to the Sudanese Peace Process, a project implemented by UNDP and UNHCR, in partnership with the Sudanese Peace Commission. This aims to bolster the peace process in Sudan, including through capacity-building of the national peace architecture and dissemination of the Juba Peace Agreement, signed in October 2020. Godfrey is leading state-level coordination and promoting initiatives that support peacebuilding, governance and community reconciliation. Moreover, Godfrey ensures effective information sharing, engages local peace partners and promotes gender equality and women’s participation in dialogues and peacebuilding work. My heart-warming experience is grounded in our team effort to contribute to the common good of promoting human understanding and peace. I am humbled and Inspired by my experience, and l aspire to inspire others to contribute to world understanding through volunteerism. ---Godfrey Mukalazi, UN Volunteer with UNDP Also deployed under the Peacebuilding Fund, Kyle Jacques (Canada) is a UN Volunteer who serves in the PBF Secretariat, hosted by the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO). As a Monitoring, Evaluation and Communications Specialist, he assesses the ongoing implementation of PBF-funded projects. He strives to ensure all activities are implemented as planned and are achieving their intended peacebuilding results. Kyle liaises regularly with implementing project teams, supporting the completion and submission of progress reports, conducting project monitoring missions, aggregating and analyzing project data, as well as supporting the completion of final project evaluations. His work is helping PBF-funded programmes create a positive impact within the beneficiary communities. In the PBF-funded programme in Darfur, for example, 377 individuals have benefitted from income generating and vocational training activities, 146 of whom are women. Another positive outcome is the training of 264 Sudanese Police Force staff, including 38 women, in land laws, community patrols, intelligence-led policing and early warning response. Through this assignment, I have gained a thoroughly enriched understanding of the political and peacebuilding context in Sudan, the unique opportunities and challenges within the different communities we are seeking to support, and the important role to be played by the UN country team in furthering Sudan’s peacebuilding trajectory. --Kyle Jacques, UN Volunteer with the UN RCO in Sudan The road to peace in Sudan cannot be complete without the inclusion of volunteers who are working tirelessly to bring hope to communities that have endured the burdens of conflict. Volunteers are offering their time and knowledge to bring about positive change during a critical time in the country’s history.

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29 August 2021

Grandi calls for peace in Ethiopia, stresses ‘there is no military solution’

By Catherine Wachiaya in Um Rakuba camp, Sudan Hailu Mehari crossed into Sudan last November with his wife and their two children, leaving behind raging conflict across Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The 65-year-old father of four met UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who visited eastern Sudan, where close to 48,000 Ethiopian refugees live in two camps, Um Rakuba and Tunaydbah. Grandi met Hailu in Um Rakuba where he spoke with him and several refugees including young men and women, children, people living with disabilities and the elderly. They raised various issues, ranging from access to proper health care, shelter and food. “We lost our home, our farm, everything. I am not showing all my emotions as it is still so painful,” said Hailu, who owned large swathes of farmland and left them unharvested after violence broke out. “I am grateful for everything I have received in Sudan.” Hailu added that he was glad to have made it out safely. “It’s difficult here but I am very happy to be alive. I am grateful for everything I have received in Sudan,” he said. Grandi noted that the situation is very challenging and added that UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency is working closely with the government of Sudan and other aid agencies to improve services. “Conditions in the camp are fragile as in any humanitarian situation but they have improved. We’ve seen services such as education, food distributions and healthcare being offered to the refugees,” he said. He commended the government and the people of Sudan for their continued hospitality towards refugees, despite hosting more than 1 million other refugees and grappling with a displacement crisis of over 2.5 million internally displaced Sudanese, amid growing economic challenges. “It’s not that they don’t have problems in other parts of the country so it’s really something that the international community needs to appreciate more,” he said. “There is no military solution to this problem.” The High Commissioner was joined by the Norwegian Minister of International Development, Dag-Inge Ulstein. “The host communities here are such a good example for the rest of the world. They are very warm and have welcomed refugees openly,” the Minister said. He appreciated efforts by aid agencies in responding to refugees’ needs. “The UN agencies and UNHCR are really doing a tremendous job setting up this site in such a short time while also building trust with the local communities,” he added. Hailu and his wife Tsige are also struggling to cope with being separated from their older children who remained behind in Tigray. “I miss my other children and I still get emotional,” said Tsige. “This week when I thought about them, I became very stressed and had stomach pains. I’m even struggling to talk about it now.” Hailu added that they last communicated with his older brother and his children in June but haven’t heard from them since. “I hope and pray for their safety,” he said, adding that although they lost everything, they appreciate making it to Sudan. Grandi noted that many of the refugees he spoke to would like to return home but only if there is peace. He reiterated that “there is no military solution to this problem” and the only way to restore peace in Ethiopia is through diplomatic negotiation and political talks. “That’s the only way to create conducive conditions for the thousands of people hosted in Sudan, to be able to go back voluntarily, in safety and dignity,’ he said.

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02 June 2021

Brick by brick, South Sudanese refugees rebuild, gaining stability and dignity

The sense of ownership and privacy that Nyafuoj Aban, 44, felt after she finished building her mud-brick hut is one that she cherishes deeply to this day. A year ago, Aban and her ten children, aged between four and 27 years, moved into their more solid house, locally known as a ‘tukul’ in Al Jameya camp in Sudan’s White Nile State. Before, they were living with almost 20 relatives in two temporary shelters for two and a half years. “This is my house, I own it. It protects me and my children and gives us privacy,” beams Aban as she spreads her arms wide to capture the expanse of her round grass-thatched hut. The family fled their home in southern Malakal, South Sudan, when war broke out in December 2013, living in different villages that were relatively peaceful before finally arriving in Sudan in April 2014. Aban, who was then six months pregnant, did not receive her own individual shelter due to the high numbers of refugees arriving at the time and a shortage of land that did not allow for space to be allocated. Instead, all newly arriving refugees were being placed in communal shelters as UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the Government of Sudan tried to find the necessary resources to accommodate them. Tired of living in a communal shelter, Aban gathered her children and moved in with other relatives in an emergency shelter. Made of temporary materials like plastic sheets and papyrus mats, emergency shelters are made to minimum standards, intended to provide refugees with shelter for a short time. “This is my house, I own it. It protects me and my children and gives us privacy.” “I am grateful that my relatives took us in, but life was not easy. We were too many and since it was not our home, we did not have the freedom to live the way we wanted,” she explains. Aban decided to register for a project to pilot durable shelters for South Sudanese refugees in Sudan. The project required refugees to participate in building their own shelters by making bricks, fetching water and working with builders contracted by UNHCR and partners. “My friends tried to discourage me from joining, saying that I would not manage the tough work, but I had nothing to lose by trying,” recalls Aban. Without her husband around to support her – he remained behind in South Sudan – Aban, with the help of her children, collected soil and water to make bricks. They laid them in the scorching sun, the hope of a new home their major driving force. In total, 769 families participated in building their own tukuls. Aban did the finishing of the floor and plastered the walls herself – a hefty task, but one she had no qualms about. “Back home in South Sudan, this is a woman’s job, so I did everything alone,” she says proudly. Plastering the hut serves an important aesthetic purpose. The placement of a protective layer over the bricks also helps reduce exposure to rain and other elements and makes the bricks firmer, prolonging the hut’s durability. Aban and her family are assured of safety from the elements and from potentially losing their shelter due to a storm or fire outbreak. As she waits to see what the future holds, the family is trying to go on with their lives. Aban currently has no job, but during the harvest season, she and her older children join hundreds of other refugees to work on local Sudanese farms, harvesting sorghum and sesame, to supplement what they receive from aid agencies. Sudan currently hosts over 747,000 refugees from South Sudan, 36 per cent of them living in White Nile State. By Sylvia Nabanoba in White Nile State, Sudan

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28 March 2022

Keeping children in schools in Eastern Sudan

Reem Abbas Despite several challenges this year, the UNICEF-led school enrolment campaign for children has been very successful in Gedarif State, in eastern Sudan. The campaign was also an opportunity for UNICEF and Ministry of Education to mobilize the communities to send and keep children in schools. “We engaged all communities, neighbourhood-based communities, women committees and community leaders. And they helped us tremendously with the registration process," says Yahya Adam, a coordinator from the Ministry of Education and Guidance in Gedarif State, who was part of the team that worked on the school enrollment campaign. But a successful enrolment campaign can also be a burden, as the large number of registered children must be absorbed into the school system. Communities across the state are stepping up to be part of the solution, with some opening Alternative Learning Programme (ALP) classrooms through fundraising with UNICEF to provide learning supplies, training of teachers and learners textbooks. Improving access to quality education and protection for out-of-school children with a focus on girls Since 2018, UNICEF has worked with the Federal Ministry of General Education to implement its Education Sector Strategic Plan (2018–2023) towards achieving education for all and realizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 5. This specific project – Improving access to quality education and protection for out-of-school children with a focus on girls – aims to increase access to learning and life skill opportunities and realize the protection for at least 16,000 children aged 6 to 14 in Eastern Sudan. The project targets sixty disadvantaged communities across all three states of Eastern Sudan, Kassala, Red Sea and Gedarif, considering their low school enrolment and high dropout rates. The project has so far targeted 30 schools with functioning ALP centres in some of the most vulnerable communities, using a whole child approach. This approach leverages UNICEF experience across different programmes to provide children and their communities with integrated services across education, water and sanitation and child protection. Ninety (90) ALP facilitators were trained on ALP curriculum delivery and another 40 teachers on child-centred teaching methodologies. The trainings built the capacity of participants in classroom management, COVID-19 safety and prevention measures for children and participatory teaching methodologies. The ALP is an alternative venue of learning for children and adolescents who missed the opportunity to join schooling or have left the official school system at some point, including children affected by emergencies and conflict. Sudan has increased the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for basic education from 71.1 to 73.5 per cent between 2009 and 2018, with UNICEF and partners increasing efforts to achieve and sustain Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Education for All (EFA). “The GER in basic education has been stagnant around 73% for several years due to structural issues in Sudan.The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis have made progress difficult, but we understand the challenges and design the programmes factoring them in,” said Abdel Rahman El Rehiema El Dood, an Education Specialist at UNICEF Sudan. The project is designed to get children into school or ALP and keep them learning. This is achieved through several ways. “We invest in the school environment, community empowerment and in training teachers to make the school a better learning environment. We also invest in students by providing them with education supplies and school uniforms,” said Abdel Rahman. Education supplies are crucial to lessening the burden of families facing a deteriorating economic situation. In addition to education supplies, UNICEF works with the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide nutritious meals for students. In Eastern Sudan, the number of students starts decreasing from upper grades of 6,7 and 8, as boys drop out to support their families through employment and girls due to child marriage. The project addresses these barriers impacting girls by raising awareness on the importance of education and advocating against child marriage through school activities. “Engaging directly with the community is important because it gives us data on child marriage and this allows us to tailor our interventions to be specific to their challenges,” says Yahya. Through this project, UNICEF reached 6,000 children in Eastern Sudan with essential supplies. UNICEF has so far provided 300 education kits to students and 60 kits to teachers as well as 60 recreation kits and 3,000 school uniforms. This in addition to 1,750 dignity kits which includes buckets, soap and menstrual hygiene management items including multi-purpose cloth and pads, for girls. Changed with below. Through this project, 2,681 out of school children (54% girls) were enabled to access education in schools and ALP. By the end of the two-year project, 16,000 vulnerable out-of-school children in Gedaref, Kassala, and Red Sea states, especially girls, will have increased access to quality education and life skill opportunities in child-friendly, protective environments in regular basic schools and ALP centres. The improving access to quality education and protection for out-of-school children with a focus on girls project is only possible thanks to a generous contribution from the Government of Canada.

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09 March 2022

In Darfur, women farmers tackle a rapidly changing climate

Khartoum Abdulrahman Al Duma spent much of November harvesting sesame and peanuts on her farm in the Darfur region in Sudan. In Darfur, land can be hard to sow, parts are semi-arid and prone to droughts, which are becoming worse amid the climate crisis. The region has been beset by conflict for the past two decades, compounding the challenges for its inhabitants. But Al Duma's crop turned out to be a bumper one. That's thanks in part to training she received under an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Called the Wadi El Ku Catchment Management Project, it trained Al Duma and dozens of other women on how to harvest, store and market their produce. For women in the region, many of whom have been widowed due to the conflict, peanuts and sesame flowers are an important source of income. We believe knowledge is our weapon to fight climate change. Mariam Abubakr, Wadi El Ku project team "After selling our products and getting the money we have many things to do, including sending our children to school and starting a small business," said Al Duma. The training she received was part of a larger UNEP effort to create economic opportunities in Darfur, especially for women, and to help the region cope with a fast-changing climate. Perched on the southern reaches of the Sahara Desert, in a region known as the Sahel, Darfur has seen rainfall dwindle in recent years. The Wadi El Ku project, which is concentrated in a river valley near the city of El Fasher, has also supported the construction of weirs to conserve and regulate rainwater. In existence since 2014, the project has won plaudits for supporting local livelihoods and reducing conflict between nomadic livestock herders and farmers. "Women are able to make a difference in several fields, including agriculture. But they need support and empowerment," said Mariam Abubakr, part of the Wadi El Ku project team. "We believe knowledge is our weapon to fight climate change and harvesting season proves that. I'm glad to see these women reap the fruits of their effort." In 2020, more than 60,000 native seedlings were planted in the region to act as a buffer against the desert. Project teams also helped residents build weirs, or low dams, to conserve rainwater and protect against flooding. More recently, teams worked in the villages of Ed-Elbaida, Bahr-Omdurman, Sag-Elnaam, Wad-Kuta and Wada to train women in modern farming techniques. The women are working a 30-acre plot of land donated by local sheikhs. The project helped get the farms up and running, preparing land, providing ploughs, and donating groundnut, sesame and sorghum seeds. That support helped the women-led farms weather a dry growing season better than many in their area. "We have acquired new agricultural skills and practices through the season, and we are committed to train other women during the next season," said Abdelrahman The Wadi El Ku Catchment Management Project is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNEP in partnership with the Government of Sudan and the non-governmental organization Practical Action.

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23 February 2022

Displaced Sudanese finds comfort and hope in gardening

By Ararat Babayan in El Geneina, Sudan Mukhtar Ahmed smiles proudly as he stands in the middle of a lush, green garden. The 47-year-old Sudanese looks content with the thriving greenery around him that he tends to carefully every day. He works as a gardener at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s compound in El Geneina, in Sudan’s West Darfur state. He got the job just in time, after his contracts with UNAMID – the previous UN mission in Darfur – and War Child, ended. “I never received any special gardener training. I just happen to know a lot about plants since I was a child,” he says with a smile. Working here has been refreshing for Mukhtar who has spent years living in uncertainty due to the recurrent bursts of violence and fighting in West Darfur, causing him to be displaced thrice in the last 20 years. “A lush green garden can offer peace of mind and a welcome relief during turbulent times.” Currently living in a site for internally displaced people (IDPs) in El Geneina, the father of 12 was first displaced in 2000, when conflict drove him from his home in Kuka village, east of El Geneina, to Chad. They returned to Sudan in 2001 and settled in Zahawa village in West Darfur, where Mukhtar started teaching in an elementary school. In 2004, his family was displaced again after the conflict in Darfur erupted, this time to Krinding IDP camp in El Geneina. “I struggled to find a job because there were none,” he recalls. “I didn’t complete my university as I didn’t have money for fees and this made the search for work even harder.” He found odd jobs now and then, even working as a translator for a BBC film crew at one point. He later found work with various NGOs in the State such as HelpAge International, War Child and UNAMID, working as a community worker and a field officer in Azernei and Jebel Moon localities. After his contracts ended, he returned to El Geneina, unemployed. Unfortunately, Krinding IDP site was attacked by armed men in January this year, forcing Mukhtar and his family to flee to the relative safety of the urban center in El Geneina, seeking refuge in schools, government offices and other places. Their current stay in the State’s Youth Ministry IDP center is barely ideal as the centre is congested and the security situation in the area remains precarious. “The situation is unpredictable, but people are trying to cope and live as normally as possible,” he says, adding that the community has established an IDP committee, with Mukhtar as its secretary. Sudan hosts about 3 million IDPs, majority of them concentrated in the five Darfur States. West Darfur has particularly witnessed recurrent sparks of intercommunal violence since the start of the year, displacing about 300,000 people across 40 different locations. According to IOM’s latest data, there are over 115,000 displaced people in nearly 100 temporary sites in public buildings such as schools in El Geneina town and its outskirts. Together with the local authorities and partners, UNHCR is prioritizing security and peacebuilding efforts to prevent further tensions among communities and to avoid violence hampering projects. As a fragile calm return, around 1000 families have gone back to Krinding and more are ready to return, once they receive the necessary support. Mukhtar is hopeful that things will get better and that his children, including himself, will be able to return to school. “It’s not too late for me. I wish for a chance to finish university. I believe that educated communities can find a way to settle their differences and live in harmony. This is the way to move our country forward.” For now, he finds solace in his gardening. “Jasmine is my favorite plant, with its delicate fragrance and elegant white and yellow flowers,” he says. “I feel that a lush green garden can offer you peace of mind and a welcome relief during turbulent times.”

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23 February 2022

Improving the quality of education by supporting teachers in South Darfur

By Josephat Mukhanji Tucked away in a remote village in El-Radoum village in South Darfur state in Sudan is Beliel Mixed Basic Education School. Established in 2018 to cater to about 100 students, the school now boasts of 783 students, including 124 South Sudanese refugees and 430 IDP children. “My education was disrupted when I left South Sudan. I was in grade 1 when we left. After I arrived here, I stayed out of school for one year. Then I heard representatives from the government and UNHCR announcing that refugee children could join Beliel Mixed Basic Education School. That was a new beginning for me because I believe it is only through education that I that I can change my life. If I go back to South Sudan, I will have my education. If Sudan remains my permanent home, the education I receive will help me adjust to life here and find something productive to do to make my own life and that of my family and community better,” says Nasra Rizig, a seventh-grade student refugee student at Beliel Mixed Basic Education School. The school faced serious challenges especially in staffing. “The government doesn’t have enough teachers to teach all the children. The school cannot do so because we cannot afford it,” says Sharaf Salih Adam, the school principal and teacher of mathematics and science. To address the gap in teaching staff, the school has recruited other teachers who are paid through the fees paid by students. But the fees are not enough to cover other school expenses like buying teaching and learning material and supplies and other running costs. “Many times, there is failure to pay the teachers. Like many other schools in Sudan, this leads to absenteeism among teachers. Many teachers also quit to look for other jobs with guaranteed salaries, even if it’s less than what we were paying. Many children also drop out when they come to school and there are no classes,” adds Sharaf. “In a week I would miss over five lessons because the teachers were not in school. I used to hear that it was because the school was not paying their salaries. These days the absenteeism among teachers has reduced and we learn better. I thank whoever has stepped in to address the situation,” observes Nasra. With funding from the European Commission, UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education, UNHCR and the Commission for Refugees is implementing Integration and mainstreaming of refugee children into the Sudanese education system (IRCSES) and improving the quality of education which is a project to support three refugee and IDP hosting schools by paying the salaries for 55 teachers in Elradoum and Beliel localities in South Darfur. The schools are host to over 1,500 students comprising of 1,139 refugees, 430 IDPs and 229 host community children. In addition, the schools will benefit from school infrastructure development, provision of scholastic material and other supplementary teaching and learning resources, training of teachers and school committees to build their capacity to provide quality education in an inclusive, safe, and protective environment. “We thank UNICEF and the European Commission for supporting us to pay salaries for teachers in these schools and ensure that emergency-affected children are able to access uninterrupted quality education services,” noted Abdalla Salih Al Tahir Amir, the Director of the Emergency Education in South Darfur Ministry of Education in Nyala. There are still challenges because teachers are still under-paid, and the salaries are not equal across “We hope the government will take over the payment of salaries for all teachers in all learning institutions. This way, the schools will be able to use the income from student fees to address other critical needs such as construction and repair of classrooms, purchase of additional teaching and learning material,” concludes Abdalla.

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23 February 2022

Powering local Sudanese hospital with solar energy to boost maternal health care

After traveling tens of kilometers to give birth, electricity cuts delayed Aisha’s C-section operation and further put her newborn baby at risk without a fully operational incubator. Rural health clinics and hospitals across Sudan are heavily affected by frequent and lengthy power cuts. Temporary solutions such as back-up generators and batteries have proven to be neither efficient nor affordable, and costs end up on the patient’s hospital bill. UNFPA piloted a renewable energy project in Abu Jebiha, South Kordofan by partnering with Global Aid Hand to install a solar power system in Abu Jebiha Hospital. On 31 December 2021, all hospital facilities began operating with 24/7 renewably-powered electricity, including the maternity ward, operation rooms, blood bank refrigerators, incubators, medicine storage rooms and administration offices. Looking forward, UNFPA aims to garner more funding support in order to replicate the successful case of Abu Jebiha Hospital and to power hospitals and health clinics in underserved locations across Sudan with solar energy which will also serve in the fight against climate change in Sudan. “Our mission is to strengthen the health system in Sudan with sustainable tools to better serve the women and girls in every locality in the country. This successful project will be expanded to cover more health facilities during 2022 with the support of our donors.” Mr. Mohamed Lemine, UNFPA Representative in Sudan. Abu Jebiha Hospital, established in 1957, is the third largest hospital in the state of South Kordofan and has maternal health care facilities to manage both normal deliveries and C-sections. It serves the 900,000 people living in Abu Jebiha locality, among whom are refugees from South Sudan, and receives additional referrals from six neighboring localities. Due to the general lack of electricity in the area, the hospital’s capacity was previously severely restricted as it had been relying on generators that only worked for 2-3 hours a day. Moreover, patients seeking to undergo a medical operation at the hospital had the additional burden of securing their own fuel for the generator. “Before the installation of the solar power system, each patient had to purchase their own gasoline jerrycan to proceed with the surgery. And if they couldn't afford it, the surgery would be done under a mobile phone flashlight”, says Dr. Mussab, Abu Jubiha Hospital General Manager. Furthermore, the lack of electricity meant that the hospital was unable to maintain its own blood bank, having to put in requests with other hospitals instead which would take anywhere between a several hours to a several days to arrive. Incubators for newborn babies were also affected, with parents unwilling to place their child in a machine that could switch-off at any moment. Moreover, life-saving medicines and supplies could not be stored in refrigerators for long periods of time.

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Press Release

01 May 2022

Bachelet appalled by Darfur killings, warns against escalation

“I am appalled by reports that at least 159 people were killed in Kerenik on 22 and 24 April, 107 injured and thousands displaced from their homes, and at least five villages in the region were also attacked,” she said. “I am concerned that this region continues to see repeated, serious incidents of intercommunal violence, with mass casualties. While initial measures taken by the authorities to calm tensions are welcome, I urge the authorities to address the underlying causes of violence in this region and fulfil their responsibility to protect the population.” More than 1,000 armed members of the Arab Rzeigat community attacked Kerenik town on 22 April following the killing of two Rzeigat men by unknown perpetrators. At least eight men belonging to the African Masalit tribe and seven Arab men were killed in the attack and at least 17 people from the Masalit community were injured, including one woman and three children. Joint security forces were deployed to Kerenik on 23 April but reportedly retreated in the face of another large-scale attack by Rzeigat assailants on 24 April, during which they took control of the town for several hours, looted and torched hundreds of shops and houses and opened fire on public buildings where many had sought shelter, including a hospital and a police station. At least 151 people were killed, including at least 27 women and 17 children, and more than 90 injured. Three people were reportedly killed inside the hospital, including two medical workers. The violence also spread to El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur. Bachelet called on the authorities to take immediate action to protect the population and assist the wounded and displaced. “I urge the authorities to ensure that the many people injured in Kerenik, who have still not received medical care, are quickly and safely evacuated to hospitals, and to facilitate humanitarian assistance for the displaced.” “I call on the Sudanese authorities to conduct prompt, thorough, impartial and independent investigations into these attacks and hold all those responsible to account in accordance with international human rights law. The victims and their families have a right to effective remedies.” I also urge them to accelerate the long-delayed implementation of the security measures set out in the Juba Peace Agreement which stipulated the establishment of a joint security-keeping force to protect civilians in Darfur, and to implement the National Action Plan for the Protection of Civilians.” The human rights situation in Sudan has continued to deteriorate since the military coup of 25 October 2021. The High Commissioner urges the Sudanese authorities to take credible steps to create an environment conducive to an inclusive political settlement that would put the democratic transition back on track. To this end, the High Commissioner supports the continued facilitation efforts of the UN-AU-IGAD tripartite mechanism. ENDS For more information and media requests, please contact: In Nairobi Seif Magango - +254 788 343 897/ seif.magango@un.org In Geneva Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org or Lori Brumat - + 41 22 928 9149 / lori.brumat@un.org

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Press Release

24 March 2022

WORSENING FOOD CRISIS LOOMING IN SUDAN AMID ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, DISPLACEMENT, AND RUINED CROPS

“There are already worrying signs that access, affordability, and the availability of food is shrinking for most people in Sudan, which is pushing more people deeper into poverty and hunger,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP Representative and Country Director in Sudan. In recent months, there has been a surge in the numbers of people displaced due to conflict in parts of Darfur and the Kordofan region. This insecurity has eroded livelihoods, damaged farms, and triggered widespread unemployment. The depreciation of the Sudanese Pound (SDG) in addition to rising food and transportation costs are making it harder for families to put food on the table. A lack of access to hard currencies is likely to result in the SDG further depreciating. The Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report by FAO and WFP indicates that the domestic cereal production from the 2021/22 agricultural season is expected to produce 5.1 million metric tons. This will only cover the needs of less than two thirds of the population, leaving many reliant on humanitarian food assistance and dependant on imports of essential grains at prices beyond the reach of most people. “Rising food prices and scarcity of essential agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds mean that farmers have no other option than to abandon food production if they do not receive immediate support. This will likely have grave consequences not only for their food security but also on food availability in Sudan and may ultimately lead to more conflict and displacement,” said Babagana Ahmadu, FAO Representative in Sudan. The situation looks grim for millions as the conflict in Ukraine is causing further spikes in food costs, as Sudan is dependent on wheat imports from the Black Sea region. Interruption to the flow of grain into Sudan will increase prices and make it more difficult to import wheat. Currently, local prices of wheat are at over US$ 550 per ton – an increase of 180 percent compared to the same period in 2021. “The ripple effects created by the bullets and bombs landing in Ukraine will be felt far and wide, including here in Sudan, as families are set to suffer even further with basic meals becoming a luxury for millions. But at the same time, WFP finds itself in the awful position of not having enough resources to meet the ever growing needs,” added Mr Rowe. In 2021, WFP was a lifeline for nearly 9 million people in Sudan who suffered through the turmoil of political unrest and economic instability. On top of life-saving food assistance, cash and livelihood support for families helped them not only survive, but also thrive. But this year, WFP food stocks in Sudan are running dangerously low and without new funding they will begin running out by May. A funding crunch, led by a US$270 million shortfall, has already forced WFP to prioritize the most vulnerable of the vulnerable people, meaning others in need go without, and further cuts may be necessary if WFP does not receive new funds immediately. In 2021, FAO reached nearly 1.5 million vulnerable people in Sudan with life-saving livelihoods assistance to enhance the resilience of their agriculture-based livelihoods. This year, FAO requires USD 51.4 million to support 2 million vulnerable farming and pastoral households to produce their own food, keep their livestock alive and productive, and strengthen their resilience. Urgent support is required to provide essential agriculture inputs to vulnerable farming households before the main agriculture season starts in June, so that they can produce enough food and become self-reliant. # # # The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger. For more information please contact: Alessandro Abbonizio, WFP/Nairobi, +254 723 001 639 Pratibedan Baidya, WFP/Sudan, +249 (0) 91 253 4142 Mohamed Alaidaroos, FAO/Cairo, +20 2 3331 6000 Amani Hagalbashir, FAO/Sudan, +249 (0) 91 273 9255

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Press Release

21 March 2022

Call for Proposals in Sudan

WPHF is excited to announce its latest Call for Proposals in Sudan to enhance the role of civil society organizations in advocating for and ensuring the local implementation of WPS commitments; accelerate women’s leadership in peacebuilding; and strengthen the capacity of local organizations working on gender-specific issues in conflict and crisis contexts. The Call for Proposals aims at responding to the needs of local women’s organizations in fragile and humanitarian settings, with two (2) funding streams: Funding stream 1: Institutional funding: from 2,500 USD to 30,000 USD This funding stream will provide institutional funding to local civil society organizations working on gender specific issues in peace and security and humanitarian contexts, to ensure they are able to sustain themselves and to improve their impact. Funding stream 2: Programmatic funding: from 30,000 USD to 200,000 USD This funding stream will finance projects responding directly to the humanitarian crisis and the protection of women and girls. Projects should be implemented in the following location(s): Two Darfur states: South Darfur and North Darfur Blue Nile Gadaref Port Sudan All civil society organizations can apply for a maximum of 2-year grants. Composed of representatives from donors, United Nations entities, and civil society organizations, the WPHF is a global pooled funding mechanism which aims to re-energize action and stimulate a significant increase in financing for women’s participation, leadership, and empowerment in peace and security processes and humanitarian response. The WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism. It supports quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of local women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities. The focus of this WPHF call for proposals will be on promoting an enabling environment for WPS and conflict resolution. Special attention will be provided to applications supporting women and girls multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, such as those marginalized and excluded due to poverty, ethnicity, disability, age, geography, migratory status, HIV status, among others, which is in clear alignment with the 2030 Agenda and the principle of leaving no one behind. National and local women- led, women’s rights, feminist, youth focused/led or civil society organizations with a proven track record working with women and girls, are eligible to apply. Grassroots and local community-based organizations are particularly encouraged to apply. Joint projects are allowed and encouraged. Applications are accepted in English and Arabic COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGES SHOULD BE EMAILED TO: CFP.SUDAN@UNWOMEN.ORG APPLICATION DEADLINE: 15 MAY 2022 An information session on this Call for Proposals will be held by UN Women with WPHF Secretariat support on 6 April 2022. To register, please email cfp.Sudan@unwomen.org by 3 April 2022. CALL FOR PROPOSALS - ENGLISH CALL FOR PROPOSALS – ARABIC PROPOSAL TEMPLATE, STREAM 1 English PROPOSAL TEMPLATE, STREAM 1 Arabic PROPOSAL TEMPLATE, STREAM 2 English PROPOSAL TEMPLATE, STREAM 2 Arabic INDICATOR TIP SHEET, INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING English INDICATOR TIP SHEET, INSTITUTIONAL FUNDING Arabic INDICATOR TIP SHEET, IMPACT AREA 1: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR WPS English INDICATOR TIP SHEET, IMPACT AREA 1: ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR WPS Arabic INDICATOR TIP SHEET, IMPACT AREA 4: CONFLICT RESOLUTION English INDICATOR TIP SHEET, IMPACT AREA 4: CONFLICT RESOLUTION Arabic

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Press Release

08 March 2022

Message by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i., Ms. Mandeep O’Brien on the International Women’s Day

On International Women’s Day 2022, we celebrate the power and potential of women and girls around the world. On this day, on behalf of the United Nations Country Team in Sudan, I wish to acknowledge the critical roles that Sudanese women and girls continue to play to shape a brighter future for the country. Their courage and perseverance give us hope and added determination in pursuing our path to work even harder to empower them. I commend the achievements and progress made in addressing gender issues, because without equality, we cannot achieve a sustainable or equitable future. We therefore urge the authorities to increase investment in the education and empowerment of women and girls. Their important participation and inclusion in social, political, and economic life, has the power to lift communities. We must continue to promote and protect their human rights and fundamental freedoms. This year’s theme of International Women’s Day also reminds us that women and girls are the most affected by climate change. Despite their significant roles in natural resource management, women and girls have also generally been marginalized economically and politically, particularly those in the remote rural areas of the country. Women and girls are effective and powerful leaders and change-makers for climate adaptation and mitigation. Their participation and leadership results in more effective climate action. The empowerment and education of women and girls is a smart investment; it is essential for sustainable development, healthier households, and greater gender equality. Without gender equality today, a sustainable future, and an equal future, remains beyond our reach. This International Women’s Day, let’s collectively call for “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.

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