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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 nearly 4.3 million people, including nearly 2.5
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 approximately
210,000 people within Darfur and to eastern Chad since January 2008.
The former Government of Sudan and the southern-based Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) continue to
implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) through the joint Government of National Unity (GNU). The
GNU was formed in 2005, the year 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.
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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) – June 2008 U.N. Sept. 2007 |
Sudanese Refugees | From Darfur: 250,000 From Southern Sudan: 260,000 |
UNHCR – June 2008 UNHCR - March 2008 |
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 | $130,425,113 |
USAID/FFP(4) Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad | $543,355,800 |
State/PRM(5) Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad | $96,080,799 |
Total USAID and State Humanitarian Assistance to Sudan and Eastern Chad | $769,861,712 |
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 August, heavy rains caused flooding in South
Darfur, affecting Kalma, Bielel, Al Salam, and Dereig
IDP camps. Clashes in Kalma camp further affected
the IDP population and limited humanitarian access to
conflict- and flood-affected populations.
Throughout August, insecurity and attacks targeting
relief workers continued to cause population
displacement and hamper the delivery of humanitarian
assistance in Darfur. From August 9 to 12, U.S.
Special Envoy to Sudan Richard S. Williamson
traveled to Khartoum and Darfur to assess the ongoing
conflict in Darfur, the situation in Abyei, and the
impact of the application for an arrest warrant by the
International Criminal Court for Sudanese President
Omar al Bashir. The Special Envoy met with local
officials and representatives from the U.N.–African
Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the U.N.
Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), opposition groups, and
the GNU. Ambassador Williamson reiterated USG
support for the full deployment of UNAMID troops to
protect IDPs and other vulnerable populations.
Security and Humanitarian Access
In August, attacks against aid workers, insecurity, and
bureaucratic impediments continued to hamper
humanitarian access to affected populations and caused
several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to
suspend programs in Darfur. On August 1, OCHA
reported that bandits and armed assailants had hijacked
180 humanitarian vehicles, abducted 145 aid workers,
and killed 9 humanitarian staff members since January
1, 2008. From January 1 to August 14, bandits
hijacked 97 U.N. World Food Program (WFP) trucks,
of which 69 are still missing.
In early August, Médecins Sans Frontières/Spain
(MSF/E) temporarily suspended activities and
evacuated staff from Tawila and Shangil Tobayi towns
in North Darfur following two attacks against MSF/E
facilities and staff members in July. On August 27,
German Agro Action (GAA) also suspended programs
in rural areas of North Darfur following two security
incidents in July and August that targeted GAA staff
and relief supplies. MSF/E and GAA plan to resume
relief activities in the area if local officials and
communities guarantee security and access for
humanitarian agencies. GAA will continue to provide
assistance in and around larger towns and camps.
GAA programs support approximately 450,000
individuals in North Darfur, and MSF/E provides
medical assistance to approximately 65,000 IDPs and
host communities in North Darfur. With USAID
support, Relief International implements health and
nutrition programs in the Tawila area, and CHF
International supports shelter and agriculture programs
in Shangil Tobayi.
In August, Kalma IDP camp experienced high levels
of insecurity. According to IDP leaders, on July 28,
three to five GNU land cruisers with mounted machine
guns entered the camp. Sudanese government officials
confirmed the raid on Kalma camp and reported that
GNU forces seized weapons from IDPs in the camp, a
statement that IDP leaders deny. On August 25,
fighting erupted in Kalma camp, killing 33 camp
residents, including 7 children and 10 women,
according to UNAMID. The fighting began after
GNU military and police forces attempted to enter the
camp to search for suspected weapons and drugs. On
August 25, MSF/Holland evacuated 51 wounded
individuals from Kalma camp. Aid agencies are
concerned that more injured IDPs may still be hiding
in the camp. On September 3, UNAMID forces
reported that GNU police had withdrawn from the
camp but were erecting tents at a new base close to
Kalma camp, raising fears among IDPs of new attacks.
In response to the insecure situation, UNAMID plans
to deploy soldiers and police to Kalma camp on a
permanent basis. Aid workers and IDP leaders
expressed concern that the GNU raids are part of a
strategy to close Kalma camp and split up the IDP
population. In October 2007, approximately 30,000 of
the 90,000 total IDPs fled Kalma camp after GNU
forces entered the camp in response to politically
motivated interethnic fighting. In November 2007,
IDPs built road blocks to obstruct GNU disarmament
campaigns in the camp.
Population Movements
On August 10, OCHA reported that fighting and
insecurity have displaced approximately 210,000
people in Darfur since January 1, 2008. According to
OCHA, inter-ethnic fighting between the Fallata and
Habaniyah ethnic groups in Buram and Tulus localities
and Tarjem and Beni-Halba ethnic groups in and
around Ed al Fursan, South Darfur, account for the
majority of the recent displacement. Sudanese
Government aerial bombings throughout Darfur have
also caused displacement, including the temporary
displacement in July of an estimated 1,300 people
from Umu village in Jebel Marra, West Darfur.
Food Security and Nutrition
On July 28, WFP announced an increase in the daily
ration for beneficiaries in Darfur from 50 percent to 67
percent of the recommended full ration. In mid-April,
WFP cut monthly food rations to beneficiaries in
Darfur due to banditry, halving rations of cereals,
pulses, and sugar. Due to ongoing insecurity and
continued banditry of commercial transporters, WFP
will not be able to expand seasonal food aid support to
new food-insecure populations. WFP implementing
partners have noted problematic indicators and signs of
reduced coping mechanisms in affected communities,
including increased food prices, decreased amounts of
food in markets, and an increase in day laborers trying
to earn money to buy food. As a result, WFP is
expanding blanket supplementary feeding efforts in
North and South Darfur.
According to the U.N., on September 2, GNU police
shot and killed one refugee and wounded three others
when approximately 1,000 women and youth armed
with sticks gathered around an NGO food storage
facility in Um Shalaya refugee camp in West Darfur.
UNHCR reported that the group was protesting a
reduction in food aid from August to September.
According to the U.N., the group entered and looted
the NGO food storage before GNU police arrived at
the camp and fired warning shots into the air.
Following the incident, approximately 500 refugees
surrounded a U.N. helicopter in Um Shalaya,
demanding transport for injured refugees and family to
El Geneina for medical treatment. NGO staff in Um
Shalaya are concerned about the security of
humanitarian workers in the event of further unrest
among the estimated 6,600 refugees. WFP has been
distributing a reduced cereals ration to more than 2.5
million beneficiaries in Darfur since May. Refugees in
Um Shalaya received a full cereals ration until
September.
Floods
According to OCHA, heavy rains on August 16 and 17
resulted in floods in Kalma, Bielel, Al Salam, and
Dereig IDP camps in South Darfur. The flooding
affected an estimated 9,575 households and destroyed
more than 7,800 shelters and 3,000 latrines. NGOs
identified provision of emergency relief supplies,
shelter, and water and sanitation systems as priority
needs in the camps, and the lack of a medical facility
in Bielel camp as a significant gap in humanitarian
assistance. In response to sanitation concerns in Al
Salam camp, CARE and Action Contre la Faim (ACF)
are conducting hygiene promotion campaigns in the
camp, and CARE is providing more than 4,000 water
containers to affected populations. In addition,
Humedica has distributed blankets, water containers,
and plastic sheeting to 851 households requiring
emergency relief supplies and 406 newly displaced
households. In Dereig camp, the Sudanese Red
Crescent Society provided plastic sheeting to nearly
900 flood-affected households.
Health
During the week of August 4, the U.N. World Health
Organization (WHO) confirmed one case of polio in a
child in El Geneina, West Darfur. According to WHO
and field reports, the child had visited Chad in July and
may have contracted the disease before returning to
Sudan. In October 2007, NGOs reported five polio
cases in eastern Chad near the border with Darfur. On
August 25, the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
WHO, the West Darfur Ministry of Health (MOH),
and NGO partners began a national polio
immunization campaign in West Darfur.
On August 13, WHO reported increased cases of acute
jaundice syndrome (AJS) in Kalma and Al Salam
camps. From August 2 to August 8, health officials
reported 30 new cases in Kalma camp and 21 in Al
Salam, bringing the total number of AJS cases in South
Darfur to 67, compared with 52 during the previous
week. According to USAID field staff, although AJS
case numbers are not yet at critical levels, continued
increases would be cause for concern. The increase in
AJS cases may be fueled by unclean water and
overcrowded conditions in camps.
Since May, implementing partners have reported that
the GNU Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) and
Sudanese government officials have repeatedly denied
requests for permits to transport fuel for motorpumped
wells into the camps. Due to recent flooding,
humanitarian agencies indicated that hand-pumped
wells in parts of Al Salam camp may be contaminated,
while motor-pumped wells may still be useable.
According to OCHA, on August 18, the HAC agreed
to allow a continuous flow of fuel into the camp so that
NGOs could operate motor-pumped wells. On August
20, USAID partner CARE reported that the HAC
approved two of the three barrels of fuel the NGO
requested, representing an 80 percent approval rate
compared to a 65 percent approval rate in early
August.
CURRENT SITUATION IN SUDAN,
EXCLUDING DARFUR
In Southern Sudan, eastern Sudan, and the Three Areas
humanitarian organizations continue to provide
assistance to returnees, IDPs, and host communities.
In August, heavy rains cased floods in Northern Bahr
el Ghazal, Blue Nile, Khartoum, Northern Kordofan,
and Gedaref states. On August 18 and 19, USAID
field staff conducted a food security assessment in
Lagawa locality, Southern Kordofan State.
Floods
On August 16, OCHA reported that rains displaced
nearly 39,000 individuals in Aweil town, Northern
Bahr el Ghazal State, and 1,500 people in Warab State.
According to the Southern Sudan Relief and
Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC), the Northern
Bahr el Ghazal State Government has resettled more
than 22,000 individuals from flood-affected areas in
Aweil to Maper Akot Aru village, 5 km from Aweil
town. Smaller numbers of flood-affected individuals
have settled in Malou Awer, Sika Hadiid, Hai Salam,
Hai Toich, and Naivasha villages.
On August 1, SSRRC, U.N. agencies, and NGOs
conducted an assessment of Maper Akot Aru,
Naivasha, and Sika Hadiid. According to the
assessment team, the displaced population in Maper
Akot Aru is at a high risk of disease, as the area where
the displaced are camping lacks safe drinking water
and latrines. The team also identified plastic sheeting
as an urgent need due to the limited supply of roofing
materials. In response, humanitarian agencies are
providing relief commodities and health services to the
displaced, and the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State
Government is distributing grain. To increase access
to safe drinking water and prevent the spread of waterborne
diseases, Medair and UNICEF drilled three
boreholes in Maper Akot and Mayen Akot and
constructed 100 latrines in Wathok, Maper Akot, and
Mayen Akot.
On August 23, U.N. agencies and NGOs reported that
heavy rains caused floods in Gedaref, Northern
Kordofan, and Khartoum states. To date, seasonal
floods have displaced more than 1,000 households in
Gedaref State, damaged 400 shelters in Northern
Kordofan State, and killed 6 people and affected more
than 240 households in Khartoum State. According to
the U.N. Resident Coordinator’s Office, floods in Blue
Nile State also destroyed 756 houses. In Gedaref State,
WHO reported three new suspected cases of acute
watery diarrhea, bringing the total to 116 cases and 3
deaths since June. As of August 23, health
organizations had not reported any flood-related
disease outbreaks in other flood-affected areas. In
response to the floods, the GNU Office of Water and
Environmental Sanitation distributed 390 pieces of
plastic sheeting, 90 cartons of soap, and 400 water
containers in Blue Nile State. In Gedaref State,
SSRRC is working with the Gedaref State MOH and
UNICEF to monitor water sources and supply chlorine
tablets.
Population Movements
According to the UNMIS Returns, Reintegration, and
Recovery Section (UNMIS RRR), small numbers of
Abyei IDPs are temporarily returning to Abyei town,
despite heavy rains. On August 20, UNMIS observed
approximately 3,000 individuals in Abyei town,
composed mostly of former residents who return
during daylight hours and retreat to villages in the
south at night. According to OCHA, heavy rains and
bad road connections to the north and south have
limited the number of returns. Previously, OCHA
reported that U.N. agencies, the International
Organization for Migration (IOM), and UNMIS RRR
had planned for voluntary returns of approximately
21,000 Abyei IDPs during the rainy season. The road
from Agok to Abyei requires significant repairs before
returns can proceed in October or November,
following the rainy season. Early projections from
relief agencies indicate that 50 percent of the estimated
50,000 Abyei IDPs plan to return to places of origin
during the dry season. On August 8, the NCP and the
SPLM agreed on an interim administration for the
Abyei region, one of the conditions outlined in the
Abyei road map agreement for returns.
Health
On August 10, WHO reported a cholera outbreak in
Nassir County in Upper Nile State. Medical staff
recorded 1 death and 63 cases of cholera between July
14 and July 20. In addition, on August 28, a Northern
Bahr el Ghazal State MOH representative reported that
health officials have recorded 224 cholera cases and 4
deaths in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State since August
2. The suspected cholera outbreak has affected Aweil
West, North, East, Center, and South counties, with the
most significant number of cholera cases in Aweil
town. According to the MOH, increasing numbers of
cholera cases in Aweil town and the Peth Lou area in
Aweil East may be a result of poor sanitary and
hygiene conditions in areas where large numbers of
people settled following the mid-August floods in
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. MSF has provided
emergency hygiene supplies, and IRC is working to
construct 73 household latrines in Aweil town to
prevent the spread of water-borne diseases in the area.
In 2006, a cholera outbreak in Southern Sudan killed
700 people and affected approximately 25,000 others.
On August 25, USAID partner Christian Mission Aid
(CMA) reported 132 suspected measles cases,
including 32 deaths, in Longechuk County, Upper Nile
State. According to the Upper Nile State MOH, lack
of paved roads and an airstrip in Longechuk has
hindered MOH access to the area. USAID field staff
are in contact with NGO partners and are monitoring
the situation closely. CMA is working with other
agencies to control the outbreak.
In August, U.N. agencies and implementing partners
reported increased cases of malaria in Southern Sudan.
On August 16, OCHA reported that the number of
malaria cases in Unity and Upper Nile states had
increased significantly compared to similar periods in
previous years. During the week of August 19,
medical staff at the Akuem health center in the
Northern Bahr el Ghazal area reported more than 100
malaria cases per day. Humanitarian agencies report
that the number of malaria cases in Northern Bahr el
Ghazal State is significant and is primarily affecting
children under five years of age. In July, USAID
partner Tearfund treated more than 700 patients for
malaria, of which 231 were women and 196 were
children under five years of age. In response to
malaria concerns in Aweil, WHO and the State MOH
provided 96,000 units of waterguard tablets and
emergency drug kits to populations in Aweil.
Food Security and Nutrition
According to an August 8 USAID-funded Famine
Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)
Southern Sudan Food Security Update, northern parts
of the western and the eastern flood plains remain
highly food insecure due to the effects of the 2007
floods, insecurity, and market isolation. FEWS NET
projects that populations will remain food-insecure
until October, when harvests typically commence.
While heavy rains have caused flooding in Northern
Bahr el Ghazal and Warab states, below average rains
in the northern and eastern parts of Southern Sudan
may negatively affect crop production. According to
the Nassir County Commissioner, most of eastern
Upper Nile State is likely to face increased hunger
because insufficient rainfall has caused failure of
staple crops.
From August 8 to 10, a WFP, World Vision, and
SSRRC team conducted an assessment in Gogrial East
County, Warab State, to monitor the food security of
Gogrial IDPs and host communities in Liethnom and
found that IDPs and host communities in Liethnom are
highly food-insecure. The team estimates that 200
families, composed of mainly women and children, are
seeking refuge in Liethnom market. On August 16,
OCHA reported that an estimated 51,000 children
under five years of age are malnourished in Gogrial
East County. World Vision, WFP, ACF, and SSRRC
plan to screen children for possible enrollment in a
supplementary feeding program. In response to food
security concerns, WFP plans to airlift 527 MT of food
assistance to Gogrial that will support 30,000
individuals for one month. On August 21, WFP
completed the first airlift of food assistance to Gogrial.
On August 18 and 19, USAID field staff conducted an
assessment of food insecurity in Lagawa locality,
Southern Kordofan State. In July, USAID partners
reported food shortages in the Abu-Junuk and Sunut
areas of Lagawa, including 12 villages around Sunut
and six villages in Abu-Junuk. According to USAID
staff, prices of all grains, including millet, sorghum,
and wheat, are currently 200 percent higher than 2007
levels. In late July, the HAC, SSRRC, local
government officials, and NGOs conducted an initial
interagency assessment in 12 villages in Lagawa.
According to the assessment, high grain prices, a lack
of safe water sources, and poor health services are
contributing to declining food security. In response to
rising prices of food prices, the GNU Strategic Reserve
released 1,000 MT of sorghum, which agencies hope
will bring down the high price of sorghum.
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)
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