As the challenges mount, the partnering organisations in Sudan continue to provide emergency assistance, including protection services, food security assistance, and multi-purpose cash support.

Besides people’s lives being in danger due to deliberate and indiscriminate attacks, affected communities struggle with a lack of shelter, medical care, and food: 20 million people, over 40 percent of the population, now face acute food insecurity and 6 million people are just one step away from famine. The United Nations have warned that Sudan is currently facing the world’s largest child displacement crisis, with over 3 million children forced to flee widespread violence. Many humanitarian organisations are profoundly concerned about the safety of girls, young women, and unaccompanied children, who are increasingly vulnerable at risk to gender-based violence, exploitation, abuse, and human trafficking.

Accessing communities
The organisations united in this joint response have a presence in White Nile, Al Jazirah, Blue Nile, North and East Darfur. Where access is possible, teams continue to reach communities through a multisectoral intervention:

• We provide protection services, including psychosocial support, dedicated case management, gender-based violence prevention and response services, distribution of dignity kits to girls and women, and awareness raising on child recruitment.
• Health systems are on the brink of collapse and communities face serious health risks. We therefore support rehabilitation of selected health facilities, including primary health care consultation, and support community-based treatment of acute infectious diseases.
• As food security drastically increased over the past 200 days, we distribute food and establish communal kitchens.
• We support displaced communities with shelter, by providing basic, safe, and dignified shelter solutions, while also equipping householders with non-food items.
• By distributing cash transfers, households are ensured freedom, dignity, and choice to decide on their recovery.
• Lack of access to WASH is being reported, so the response includes providing access to soap, sufficient and safe water, and clean sanitary facilities, as well as hygiene awareness-raising activities.

Eiman Ibrahim, Joint Response Coordinator at Plan International Sudan, stresses the importance of additional action to prevent the effects of the crisis from further escalating: “With over 5 million people having fled their homes in response to the upturn in violence of the past 200 days, humanitarian needs are almost overwhelming. Currently only 32% of the UN appeal has been met. It therefore remains critical to ensure that funding remains available for continued delivery of humanitarian action.”

Calls for de-escalation and unhindered access
To ensure continuity of response operations, the Dutch Relief Alliance calls on all parties to this conflict to guarantee the safety of aid workers and allow for humanitarian assistance to reach those who require it. All parties to the conflict must allow civilians safe passage. People fleeing conflict – especially those most at risk including girls, young women, and female-headed households – must be able to do so safely.

Ibrahim: “The Dutch Relief Alliance Joint Response partners are among several agencies with sufficient capabilities to respond in Sudan. Partners engage in close collaboration, to ensure integrated and multi-sectoral response assistance and services to address the needs of many of the displaced, including girls and women and their particular needs.”

Photo: Plan International