Sudan: On 23 Nov humanitarians reached C.Darfur, Zalingei, Golo, Rokero, from Kosti 1st time since April

GOOD news posted by @UNOCHA_Sudan to microblogging platform X on 28 Nov says: "On 23 Nov humanitarians reached Central Darfur, Zalingei, Golo and Rokero, from Kosti for the first time since April. The trucks carrying medical supplies started on 18 Oct as part of the 44 trucks moving to Kordofan and Darfur. The trucks have been delayed due to insecurity".

On 23 Nov, humanitarians reached Central Darfur, Zalingei, Golo and Rokero, from Kosti for the first time since April.
The trucks carrying medical supplies started on 18 Oct as part of the 44 trucks moving to Kordofan and Darfur. The trucks have been delayed due to insecurity. pic.twitter.com/7afDL7Fg0c

— UN OCHA Sudan (@UNOCHA_Sudan) November 28, 2023

[Ends]

Sudan: Humanitarian Update (12 November 2023)

UN OCHA Humanitarian Update

Sunday, 12 November 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

• More than 6 million people have been displaced within and outside Sudan since mid-April 2023.
 

• A least 1.2 million people fled Sudan since mid-April seeking safety and protection in neighbouring countries.
 

• Sudan is now the largest child displacement crisis in the world, with 3 million children fleeing widespread violence.
 

• OHCHR raises concerns of women and girls being abducted, allegedly forcibly married and held for ransom.
 

• Sudan is one of the top four hotspots of highest concern for food insecurity according to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme.
 

• The revised 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan appeal is only 33.8 per cent funded as of 12 November.

Download Report(PDF | 1.04 MB)

Read full analysis: 

https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/card/4HzR95AMmV/

[Ends]

OCHA Sudan: Statement of Commitments adopted in Jeddah & new OCHA Humanitarian Forum for Sudan

Press Release

Source: OCHA

Posted Tuesday, 7 Nov 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Statement by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan on Statement of Commitments adopted in Jeddah

(Port Sudan, 7 November 2023) The Statement of Commitments adopted in Jeddah today by the parties to the conflict in Sudan marks a moment of truth for the country. The promises made by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – to protect civilians and provide unimpeded humanitarian access – are promises that must be kept.

I thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development – representing IGAD and the African Union – for their role in facilitating these critical negotiations.

In particular, I welcome the agreement to establish a Humanitarian Forum for Sudan led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs representing the humanitarian community and with the participation of the parties to the conflict. The forum will further facilitate the implementation of the commitments made in Jeddah.

It comes -and not a moment too soon. After almost seven months of war, half of Sudan’s population – nearly 25 million people – need humanitarian assistance. Displacement, disease and sexual violence are rampant.

The tangible commitments agreed by the SAF and RSF today must now be followed by immediate and tangible actions. It is critical that the obstacles – bureaucratic and otherwise – that keep us from delivering life-saving relief at speed and at scale are cleared away once and for all.

We must have reliable guarantees from all parties to ensure that relief items, humanitarian workers and assets can move safely across conflict lines. We simply cannot reach Khartoum, Darfur, the Kordofans and other war-torn areas of the country without these assurances.

The parties to the conflict have a shared obligation to honour the commitments made in Jeddah. For the sake of the millions of civilians in Sudan who want no part of this war and in the spirit of today’s agreement, they must work toward a permanent cessation of hostilities. The people of Sudan deserve nothing less.

 

***

Download Report

(PDF | 129.07 KB)

For further information, please contact: 

Karlsson, Sofie, karlsson2@un.org, +249 912 17 44 56

View original: https://reliefweb.int/report/saudi-arabia/statement-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-statement-commitments-adopted-jeddah

[Ends]

Conflict in Sudan is world’s largest displacement crisis

ABOUT 19 MILLION SUDANESE CHILDREN are awaiting schools to re-open. For children, education is about more than the right to learn. Schools can protect children from the physical dangers around them – including abuse, exploitation, and recruitment into armed groups. Should the conflict result in schools remaining closed, this will have devastating impacts on children’s development and psychosocial well-being. Read more.

News and Press Release 

Source OCHA 

Posted 2 Nov 2023 

Originally published 2 Nov 2023

Sudan: Humanitarian Key Messages (November 2023)

● More than six months since fighting erupted on 15 April, Sudan is experiencing a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. Civilians are paying the price of the ongoing fighting. About half of the population – 24.7 million people, including 14 million children – needs humanitarian aid and protection assistance.
About 5.8 million people are displaced inside Sudan or have fled to neighbouring countries, half of whom are children. Women make up 69 per cent of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), including those in war zones, and data from Chad indicates that 90 per cent of the refugees crossing the borders are women and girls. Similarly in Egypt, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has recorded that most of the registered households upon crossing the borders were female-headed ones. The conflict – and surging hunger, disease and displacement – threatens to consume the entire country. It is time to silence the guns.

● Millions of people – especially in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan – lack access to food, water, shelter, electricity, education, health care and nutrition. As the humanitarian situation deteriorates, the communities’ coping capacity has weakened. Hunger and malnutrition were already at record levels before the fighting, now, an estimated 20.3 million people – 42 per cent of the population – face acute food insecurity. Of these, 6.3 million people are at emergency levels of hunger, only one step away from famine. Over 18 million people lack access to improved sanitation and around 8 million people practice open defecation. About 3.5 million children under five years are acutely malnourished, of whom 700,000 suffer from severe acute malnourishment and are at 11 times higher risk of death compared with their healthy peers. This adds to the burden of care on women and girls and exposes them to multiple risks in the context of the armed conflict.

● Parties to the conflict must put an end to harming civilians and respect international humanitarian law, as agreed under the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan. The parties must allow civilians safe passage. People fleeing conflict – especially women, children and those with special needs – must be able to do so safely. Attacks on hospitals, schools and other essential civilian infrastructure must stop. Access to critical items and services must be guaranteed. All health facilities occupied by parties to the conflict must be vacated. De-escalation, dialogue and a cessation of hostilities are essential to resolve the crisis.

● The spread and escalation of fighting is deeply concerning, especially as the conflict reaches new areas. Hostilities have started to spill over into Aj Jazirah State, Sudan’s breadbasket, which could have grave consequences for the harvest season and agricultural productivity. Shortages of critical inputs like seeds and fertilizers coupled with erratic weather patterns threaten both planting and harvesting. A below average harvest in the coming months would push more people into hunger and others into more severe levels of hunger.

● Protection remains an urgent priority, with an increasing number of reports of sexual and genderbased violence, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and grave violations of human and children’s rights. Parties to the conflict should not use rape as a weapon of war and those accused of it should be held accountable. As inter-communal tensions mount, the ability to access protection services and support systems reduces. Civilians are at risk of explosive hazards, though the extent and level of new contamination is unknown. Parties to the conflict must protect civilians, including children, from grave violations of their rights.

● The war in Sudan is now the world’s largest displacement crisis. As more refugees flee across Sudan’s borders, host communities in neighbouring countries are struggling. A protracted conflict in Sudan could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe. Humanitarian partners are working closely with governments in neighbouring countries to respond. New arrivals need protection and assistance.
Moreover, host communities in remote border areas, where services and infrastructure are scarce or non-existent, were already suffering due to climate shocks and food scarcity.

● Outbreaks of diseases pose a growing threat, particularly in overcrowded shelter sites and sites with poor water, sanitation and hygiene. Sudan is already facing outbreaks of cholera, dengue, measles, and malaria. Even in relatively safe locations hosting displaced populations, living conditions are deteriorating. Displacement sites have been flooded during the rainy season, raising the risk of further spread of deadly diseases. Partners must step up to contain ongoing disease outbreaks and mitigate the risks of potential outbreaks. Projections based on Johns Hopkins’ Lives Saved Tool modelling indicate that at least 10,000 children under five years may die by the end of 2023 due to an increase in food insecurity, and disruptions to essential services.

● About 19 million children are awaiting schools to re-open. For children, education is about more than the right to learn. Schools can protect children from the physical dangers around them – including abuse, exploitation, and recruitment into armed groups. Schools serve as centres for multiple services. Children can be reached with life-saving information, food, water, immunizations, healthcare, and hygiene supplies. Teachers and other education personnel can support children’s mental health, providing children with stability and structure to help them cope with the trauma they experience every day and referring children for any necessary additional support. Should the conflict result in schools remaining closed, this will have devastating impacts on children’s development and psychosocial well-being.

● Humanitarians continue to face immense obstacles to assist people in need. Bureaucratic and administrative impediments must be lifted so that aid workers can move supplies more swiftly. Visas, travel permits, and other procedures required to move staff and assistance inside the country delay the delivery of assistance. Looting and attacks against humanitarian personnel, facilities and supplies further compromise the ability of partners to deliver aid and services. The parties to the conflict must adhere to international humanitarian law and guarantee unhindered access for humanitarian personnel and supplies. Aid convoys face threats, roadblocks, restrictions and bureaucratic impediments, while intensified airstrikes and shelling in Khartoum make safe access almost impossible.

● Despite the challenges, humanitarian agencies in Sudan have made strides in accessing people across Sudan, including in hard-to-reach areas. Through both crossline and cross-border movements, convoys have reached East Darfur, North Darfur, South Darfur, West Darfur, North Kordofan states, Jabal Awlia in Khartoum, and other areas. More than 3.7 million people have received lifesaving food, emergency shelter, health, nutrition, protection, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and other assistance since 15 April. An estimated 5.2 million people received livelihood assistance. Aid must be scaled up and sustained to reach more people in desperate need. To expand assistance to people in hard-to-reach areas, innovative approaches to working with communities are critical.

● Additional resources are urgently required to support a humanitarian response that was already significantly underfunded prior to the current conflict. Humanitarian actors require US$2.6 billion to provide life-saving multi-cluster assistance and protection services to 18.1 million people through the end of this year. So far, only 33.6 per cent has been received. Additional funds are urgently needed to meet immense needs, including critical funding to national NGOs on the frontlines of the response.

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/

View full story and map: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-key-messages-november-2023

[Ends] 

_________________________

Infographic: Sudan Key Figures (1 November 2023)

Source OCHA 

Posted 2 Nov 2023 

Originally published 2 Nov 2023

Download Infographic(PDF | 518.65 KB)

[Ends] 

OCHA SUDAN: Humanitarian Update (2 Nov 2023)

ANALYSIS from OCHA
Sudan Humanitarian Update (2 November 2023)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

HIGHLIGHTS

• An estimated 5.8 million people have been displaced within and outside Sudan since mid-April 2023.
 

• A least 85,800 people fled Sudan over the past month seeking safety and protection in neighbouring countries.
 

• At least 17 people were killed and 17,500 people displaced due to renewed clashes between SAF and RSF in Nyala Town, South Darfur.
 

• Over 140 people were reportedly killed due to inter-communal fighting in As Sunta and Buram localities in South Darfur.
 

• Conflict has severely affected agriculture in many parts of the country raising concerns on food security in the coming months.
 

• The revised 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan appeal is only 33.6 per cent funded as of 2 November.

For previous humanitarian updates:

• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 26 October 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 19 October 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 13 October 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 7 October 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 28 September 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 22 September 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 14 September 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 7 September 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 31 August 2023
• Sudan Humanitarian Update, 23 August 2023

View full analysis and map: 

https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/card/1TLaNU0UWB

_______________________

Sudan: Humanitarian Key Messages (November 2023):

News and Press Release 

Source OCHA 

Posted 2 Nov 2023 

Originally published 2 Nov 2023

Download Report (PDF | 153.62 KB)

View original: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-key-messages-november-2023

[Ends]

OCHA Sudan: Humanitarian Access Situation Report

TWENTY aid workers have been killed in Sudan this year. Violence against humanitarians and assets continues, including looting of aid trucks, offices and drivers that curtail the capacity of humanitarian organisations. More than 200 visas were pending for international staff in Aug and Sep. More:

Sudan Humanitarian Access Situation Report (August - September 2023)
Source OCHA via ReliefWeb
Dated Monday, 30 October 2023 - here is a copy of the report summary:

This report is produced by OCHA Sudan in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 1 August to 30 September 2023. The next report will be issued in November 2023.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Since fighting erupted on 15 April, Sudan is experiencing a large-scale humanitarian crisis, with half the population – 24.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid and protection. Around 5.3 million people have been displaced within Sudan and to neighbouring countries.

• Millions of people particularly in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan lack access to basic services, such as food, water, shelter, health, and education.

• Reaching those in need in partially accessible and hard-to-reach areas, remains extremely difficult due to ongoing insecurity, and lack of commitment by the parties to the conflict to provide safe passage.

• Relief operations through cross-border and across Sudan are scaling up.

• Access and civil-military negotiations have led to a number of successful interventions, resulting in the delivery of 62,546 MT (1,381 trucks) of relief items in August and an additional 36,988 MT (840 trucks) in September targeting displaced communities. The planned movement of 786 MT (21 trucks) to Kordofan and Darfur states has been cancelled due to insecurity.

• The cross-border response from Chad complements the in-country response in Sudan by providing additional assistance to people in need in Darfur. At the end of September, the movement of 47 trucks carrying a total of 1,217 metric tons of critical humanitarian supplies had been successfully facilitated.

• However, a number of operational obstacles remain that impede a rapid scale-up of aid from reaching those in need, including: operating in Sudan poses a high risk, as seen through the 20 aid workers killed this year. Violence against humanitarian personnel and assets continues, including looting of aid trucks, offices and drivers that curtail the capacity of the humanitarian organizations.

• Bureaucratic and administrative impediments (BAIs) prevent the UN and INGOs from delivering aid effectively to the affected population. BAIs impact hiring of international staff, deployment of technical teams, and delivering supplies into and across Sudan. More than 200 visas were pending for international staff in August and September.

• Lack of funding is another impediment to the response. A total of US$2.6 billion is required to deliver lifesaving assistance and protection services to 18.1 million people this year. The Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is 31.7 per cent funded. Additional funds are urgently needed, including for the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF), which supports national NGOs on the frontline of the response

Download Report
(PDF | 1.3 MB)

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.

View full report: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-access-situation-report-august-september-2023

[Ends]

Sudan: 4.5M displaced, 76% of IDPs from Khartoum, SAF & RSF clashes in Nyala S. Darfur displaced 50K

'OCHA Sudan: Humanitarian Update 23 August 2023' - here is a full copy:

HIGHLIGHTS

• More than 4.5 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan due to the conflict that erupted on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
 

• Nearly 76 per cent of the people internally displaced are from Khartoum.
 

• Recent clashes between the SAF and RSF in Nyala, South Darfur, have displaced an estimated 50,000 people.
 

• Measles, whooping cough, acute watery diarrhoea, dengue fever and malaria have been reported in various states.
 

• More than 33,000 people have been affected by torrential rains in Northern State.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE (1 hour ago) [23 Aug 2023 17:00 BST]

Sudan Humanitarian Update (23 August 2023)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

As the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues across the country, civilian displacement and humanitarian needs continue to steadily increase.

To date, more than 4.5 million people have been displaced inside and outside the country due to the conflict that erupted on 15 April. More than 3.6 million people have been displaced internally as of 22 August, according to the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM). People have been displaced across all 18 states. The majority are in River Nile, Northern, East Darfur, Sennar and White Nile states. Nearly 76 per cent of internally displaced people (IDPs) are originally from Khartoum. In addition, more than 947,000 people have crossed the border into neighbouring countries as of 21 August, including Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

At least 498 children in Sudan, and likely hundreds more, have died from hunger, including two dozen babies in a state orphanage, as critical services run out of food or close, according to a recent statement by the international NGO Save the Children (SC). Since the start of the conflict in mid-April, SC has been forced to close 57 nutrition facilities, leaving 31,000 children across the country without treatment for malnutrition and related illnesses. In the remaining 108 facilities that are still operational, therapeutic food stocks are running critically low. In May, Sudan's only factory for manufacturing "Plumpy'Nut", key to treating malnutrition in children, was burned to the ground. The factory had been producing around 10,000 tons of Plumpy’Nut paste every year, which was used by aid agencies such as SC, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF. Even before the conflict, existing stocks in the country were nearly exhausted and could not be restocked due to funding shortages.

In Gedaref State, SC reported that at least 132 children died from malnutrition between April and July, 36 per cent of whom were admitted to one state hospital. The hospital has reported a significant increase in cases of malnutrition, especially among children recently displaced from Khartoum and living in squalid camps. In White Nile State, at least 316 children, mostly under the age of five, died from malnutrition or associated illnesses between May and July, and more than 2,400 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) – the deadliest form of malnutrition – were admitted to nutrition facilities since the beginning of the year.

An estimated 50,000 people (10,000 families) were displaced by renewed clashes between the SAF and RSF from 11 to 17 August in Nyala Town, the state capital of South Darfur State, according to IOM DTM. People fled their homes in Al-Mazad, Tayba, Seka Hadeed, Al-Jabal, Neil, Karrari, Musa and Texas neighbourhoods to Hai Al-Jeer, Al-Nahda, As Salam, Derwa and Kangho neighbourhoods within the town. Others took refuge in As Salam, Al Serief, Otash and Kalma displacement camps, with additional people fleeing to Tulus, Buram, As Salam and Damso localities. There are also reports of people arriving in Shia'ria locality and Ad Du’ayn Town in East Darfur and in Al Fasher Town in North Darfur. At least 60 people have been killed and 250 others injured during the fighting, according to IOM. Staff at the Turkish Hospital – which is already understaffed – are reportedly struggling to cope with the influx of wounded people, and humanitarian partners on the ground report that medical supplies are running low. Gathering information from Nyala Town in recent days has been challenging, as communication towers have reportedly been damaged during the fighting, and the electricity and water systems in the town are no longer functioning.

Clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) Al Hilu faction and SAF continue to be reported in South Kordofan. On 14 August, clashes took place in Kadugli Town, the state capital of South Kordofan State, reportedly forcing at least 6,700 people to flee to neighbourhoods in the west of the town, according to the government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) in South Kordofan. This number has yet to be verified. During the clashes, two humanitarian compounds and many public buildings were hit by stray bullets. Humanitarian staff have been advised to restrict their movements in Kadugli Town. Due to the insecurity, aid workers travelling from other areas are not able to reach the town. Humanitarian food stocks in Kadugli Town have been depleted, and attempts to bring in more supplies have failed due to insecurity along the road from Dilling to Kadugli and due to the blocking of the road into the town by the SPLM-N. The last food distributions for three months were in May and will last families until the end of this month. Other humanitarian stocks in Kadugli, especially health and nutrition supplies, are also running low. Fighting between the SPLM-N Al Hilu faction and SAF has been ongoing and escalating in the state since 17 June. To date, nine out of 17 localities have been affected by the clashes, resulting in the displacement of more than 69,400 people.

Climate change has made Northern State very vulnerable to torrential rains and flash flooding. On 5 August, heavy rainfall affected six out of the seven localities in the state, including Merowe, Al Golid, Ad Dabbah, Dongola, Al Burgaig and Halfa. According to the HAC in Northern State, about 6,670 families (some 33,400 people) were affected by heavy rains, storms and flash flooding. About 1,580 homes were destroyed, 5,090 homes were damaged, 59 public facilities were affected, and 4,672 latrines were either destroyed or damaged.

So far, the HAC has distributed 20 tents, 40 blankets, 50 sleeping mats and 50 plastic sheets, while the Civil Defence has distributed 20 plastic sheets. The Zakat Chamber provided 100 bags of flour and some cash. The Ministry of Investment provided oil, and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) provided 150 blankets, 50 plastic sheets and 30 kitchen sets. Humanitarian partners need additional supplies to support those affected by the heavy rains and flooding. Outstanding needs include emergency shelter and non-food item (NFI) kits for 3,000 people; tools and equipment for vector control, as vector-borne diseases increase during the rainy season; 20,000 chlorine tablets for water purification; 100,000 plastic sacks; 50 water pumps; 100 first aid kits; 3,000 hygiene kits; and 3,000 mosquito nets.

The Health Cluster has reported suspected measles outbreaks in White Nile, Blue Nile, Gedaref, Kassala, Aj Jazirah, West Kordofan, River Nile, North Darfur and Red Sea states. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 3,046 suspected measles cases, with 84 associated deaths. Most of the cases are from White Nile and Blue Nile states. In White Nile, health partners are meeting weekly to update and monitor the response, and a vaccination campaign for children under five years of age is planned. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has reported 16 cases of suspected pertussis (whooping cough) in River Nile, Kassala and Red Sea states. In South Kordofan, 308 acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) cases and seven related deaths have been reported by health partners, while 23,743 AWD cases have been reported in Blue Nile, White Nile, Red Sea, Kassala and Gedaref States. In Red Sea State, 11 dengue fever cases have been confirmed. In Blue Nile, River Nile, White Nile, South and North Darfur, Red Sea, Kassala and Aj Jazirah states, 280,965 clinical cases of malaria and three associated deaths have been reported. In Port Sudan, 50 heat stroke cases, including 13 associated deaths, have been reported.

Trucks loaded with nutrition, health, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies destined for Nyala Town have remained in Ad Du'ayn Town, the capital of East Darfur, since 14 August due to the fighting, and planned distributions by the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) have been postponed. There are concerns that continued fighting will cause the already precarious humanitarian situation in the state to deteriorate and heighten the health, nutrition, sanitation and food security needs of the vulnerable. Meanwhile, some areas could become inaccessible if roads become impassable during the ongoing rainy season.

ACCESS

The spread of active conflict and armed clashes across Sudan, combined with impediments and obstacles faced by aid organizations, have continued to impact humanitarian access. A total of 865 access incidents have been reported since 15 April, of which over a third were due to active hostilities impeding relief operations. The highest number of incidents was recorded in Khartoum. A total of 220 visa applications are still pending, limiting the ability of aid organizations to scale up the response. Meanwhile, travel permits required for in-country movements are time-consuming to obtain and ultimately delay access to locations outside Port Sudan, particularly hard-to-reach areas such as Khartoum and the Darfur region. 

The looting of aid facilities, warehouses and supplies continues to pose a major challenge to the humanitarian response, diminishing stocks and equipment and resulting in delays in the delivery of life-saving assistance. A total of 19 aid workers have been killed in Sudan since 15 April. At least 26 aid workers have been detained since mid-April, and many others report having faced attempts of forced recruitment by armed groups. Looting represents almost a third of all access-related incidents. In June and July, 15 warehouses, 11 offices and 43 vehicles were looted. This brings the total to 50 warehouses, 83 offices and 202 vehicles since the conflict began. Looting of medical supplies, food stores and nutrition supplies has put millions of people at increased risk of acute malnutrition and even starvation. Under international humanitarian law (IHL), all humanitarian facilities must be afforded full protection from attacks and looting during conflict.

Despite these ongoing challenges, access and civil-military coordination efforts have enabled the movement of relief items on the ground. A total of 683 trucks carried over 31,000 metric tons (MT) of relief items to people in need across 13 states in Sudan in June and July, bringing the total cumulative amount delivered to over 71,000 MT since 22 May. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) deconfliction and access negotiation system has allowed partners to deliver relief items to Khartoum, North Darfur, North Kordofan, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and White Nile. Significantly, in July, 13 new localities were reached for the first time since 15 April through the OCHA-led Humanitarian Information Sharing Mechanism, through which the location of humanitarian sites and facilities are communicated to parties to the conflict. Cross-border assistance continues from Egypt and Ethiopia, and a scale-up in assistance from Chad into Darfur is expected in the coming weeks. Full details on humanitarian access are available on the Humanitarian Access Situation Report (June to July 2023). 

STATE UPDATES

The majority of people internally displaced across the country due to the conflict are from Khartoum State. IOM estimates that more than 2.7 million people fled their homes in Khartoum to other locations within the state or to other states. An estimated 40,225 people (about 1.47 per cent of the people displaced from the state) are currently displaced within Khartoum and have taken refuge within the localities of Bahri, Jebel Awlia, Karrari, Khartoum, Sharg An Neel, Um Bada and Um Durman, as of 22 August. About 64 per cent of internally displaced people (IDPs) are living with relatives; the rest have rented accommodations.

River Nile State hosts the highest number of displaced people within Sudan. More than 510,000 people (14 per cent of all people internally displaced) have taken refuge in 244 locations across Abu Hamad, Ad Damar, Al Buhaira, Al Matama, Atbara, Barbar and Shendi localities. About 77 per cent of the displaced people are living with relatives, 15.75 per cent have rented accommodations, 4 per cent have taken refuge in schools and public buildings, and 2.4 per cent have taken refuge in improvised shelters.

In Northern State, IOM reports that 362,946 people fleeing the conflict between SAF and RSF have taken refuge in 234 locations across the state as of 22 August. All of the newly displaced people in Northern State have arrived from Khartoum, fleeing fighting between the SAF and RSF, and have taken refuge in Ad Dabbah, Al Burgaig, Al Golid, Delgo, Dongola, Halfa and Merowe localities. About 81 per cent of the displaced people are living with relatives, 10 per cent have taken refuge in schools and public buildings, and about 9 per cent have rented accommodations.

Due to increasing humanitarian needs in the state, coordinated humanitarian assistance is needed. To ensure this, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) held an orientation session for line ministries and humanitarian actors in the state on 17 August on the establishment of an area humanitarian country team (A/HCT), an area inter-agency cluster coordination group (A/ICCG), and a cluster system in the state. It was agreed to establish both the A/HCT and A/ICCG groups and hold regular meetings, and to establish a cluster system starting with health, education, agriculture, WASH, and protection – including child protection and gender-based violence (GBV). OCHA will train staff from the government HAC in Northern State and partners in the state on the operation of these coordination structures.

IOM estimates that more than 36,000 people have taken refuge in schools and other public buildings. State authorities have allocated spaces where shelters can be built to house IDPs and requested UNHCR’s help in building the shelters ahead of the winter season, which is fast approaching. UNHCR, in collaboration with HAC in Northern State, has distributed the full package of NFIs to 218 families, benefitting about 1,100 people in seven gathering sites.

Humanitarian workers are facing several gaps and challenges in responding to the needs of displaced people in Northern State. There are insufficient nutrition services and supplies for children and nursing mothers and a lack of ambulance services for referrals, amid high transportation costs. Displaced people at gathering sites also have little food, and there are not enough hygiene promotion activities. Services catering to children and people with special needs are also lacking. Humanitarian partners do not have adequate funds to respond to the needs of people affected by flooding in six localities in the state. There is also a limited number of partners on the ground, and these partners lack resources for the response. There are further difficulties in identifying and registering displaced people living with families or who have rented accommodations. Meanwhile, communications connectivity is poor.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Delivering humanitarian assistance has been challenged by insecurity, looting and bureaucratic impediments. Despite these issues, 100 humanitarian partners reached about 2.9 million people with life-saving assistance between April and July 2023. This includes vital education, health, food, nutrition, water and protection assistance. Before the conflict, 2.7 million people were reached with humanitarian assistance between January and March.

Since the start of the crisis in mid-April, WFP has provided in-kind food assistance to 1.8 million people across 15 states of Sudan’s 18 states. In July, more than 632,000 people received food assistance in Blue Nile, East Darfur, Gedaref, Aj Jazirah, Kassala, Khartoum, North Darfur, South Kordofan and White Nile states. However, access constraints – particularly in Darfur states, where violence is escalating – are hindering food distributions. Due to increased food needs, WFP plans to provide food assistance to 6.3 million people by the end of the year, an increase from the agency’s previous target of 5.9 million. The assistance will provide 262,000 children up to five years of age and pregnant and nursing women with nutrition assistance, and more than 635,000 people with malnutrition prevention activities. To achieve this, WFP is collaborating with UNICEF and other organizations to expand the delivery of nutrition support and assistance across vulnerable regions and augment capacity and implementation on the ground. As of July, WFP has reached about 49,500 children and pregnant and nursing women with malnutrition prevention activities. To sustain operations across the country, WFP in Sudan urgently requires US $367 million until January 2024.

FUNDING OVERVIEW

Humanitarian partners urgently require additional resources to scale up relief efforts across Sudan. The revised Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) requires US$2.6 billion to provide life-saving multi-sectoral assistance and protection services to 18.1 million people through the end of this year. To date, the appeal is only 25.7 per cent is funded, with $658.4 million received as of 23 August, according to the Financial Tracking Service.

For a PDF version click here

Image: Map

View original: https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/card/5ZkYXBQuCf/

[Ends]