Today, the South Sudanese government launches its multi-annual strategy for humanitarian affairs and disaster management. Cordaid, with other members of the Partners for Resilience alliance, supported the South Sudanese government in developing it. “We’re proud and happy the government has embraced the integration of community resilience into humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction”, says Karen Stehouwer, Cordaid program manager Resilient Communities.
South Sudan suffers from conflict, droughts, floods, diseases and epidemics. Disasters disrupt people’s livelihoods, interrupt the economy, destroy infrastructure and erase investments in development. They also divert resources which could be used for development efforts and adequate disaster risk management. Instead they are invested in short term responses, needed to save lives during crises.
The new strategic plan (2018-2020) emphasizes the need to increase community resilience to respond to and mitigate climatic related risks. It embraces the integration of resilience into humanitarian assistance and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Why? Because resilient communities minimize the impact of hazard events to their everyday life and their local economies. They are not only prepared to help prevent or minimize the loss or damage to life, property and the environment. They also have the ability to quickly return to work, reopen businesses and restore other essential services needed for economic recovery.
CORDAID’S EFFORTS TO INCREASE RESILIENCE
Cordaid has been working on Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) in South Sudan since 2012. Together with local partners, we support communities in analysing disaster risks, plan for action, establish local structures like DRR committees and strengthen their capacities to anticipate disaster risks and respond when disaster strikes.
These efforts have led, amongst others, to improved access to water for human consumption, livestock and agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, diversification of livelihoods, range land rehabilitation and restoration and flood protection.
PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE WITH PARTNERS FOR RESILIENCE
In collaboration with the Partners for Resilience Alliance, Cordaid also promotes sustainable change in South Sudan by strengthening civil society capacities and by promoting best practices of resilience building for wider uptake. And by supporting the government in developing and implementing new policies.
“Partners for Resilience supported the South Sudanese government in developing their strategic plan for the period 2018-2020″, Stehouwer says. “It is encouraging to see that the final plans promote the principles for effective community resilience strengthening”, she continues. “It offers guidance for both government and development actors to reduce disaster risks and improve disaster preparedness. This is particularly important for those communities who are affected by conflict and are highly vulnerable to disaster risk, loss of life and livelihoods.”
COMMITTED IN HELPING SOUTH SUDAN MOVE FORWARD
In the Sudanese press, Cordaid South Sudan director Hubert Charles expressed his commitment to support South Sudan in moving forward. “We remain engaged”, he said, “in identifying needs, in program delivery, capacity building and networking.”
“The next important step”, Steehouwer concludes, “and part of the implementation of this new strategy, is the approval of the new Disaster Risk Management policy. Partners for resilience has been supporting the South Sudan government in this policy as well.”
The Partners for Resilience Alliance is formed by the Netherlands Red Cross, Red Cross Climate Centre, Cordaid, Care (not in South Sudan) and Wetlands International. The partnership is supported by the Dutch Government.