Attachments
Executive Summary
According to SEA Risk Overview (SEARO) Index of 2024, recipients of aid in Sudan are at higher risk of SEA by aid workers. Triggered by the continued conflict and the ever-increasing demand for humanitarian support, Sudan PSEA Network, committed to preventing and responding to SEA, recognizes the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of the current SEA risk landscape across Sudan as well as for prioritized recommendations for mitigation measures. This country-level Inter-Agency Rapid Assessment (IARA) on SEA is the first in Sudan amid conflict covering 12 states either directly affected by conflict or hosting displaced people.
This study synthesizes secondary data, including inter-agency assessments, response plans, and surveys, to analyze the risks of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) within the humanitarian context of Sudan, drawing comparisons with high-risk environments like South Sudan. This rapid but comprehensive assessment involved desk review. It also included key informants’ interviews as well as focus group discussions with government and NGOs actors, PSEA Focal Points, frontline staff and displaced communities. The findings, examined through the lens of a standard SEA dimensions framework (Context, Program Operations, Aid Worker Conduct, and Community Factors), reveal a consistently high likelihood of SEA, exacerbated by ongoing emergencies, displacement, and socio-economic vulnerabilities.
While a commitment to PSEA integration and survivor assistance is evident in policy and strategic planning, significant systemic and operational gaps impede effective prevention and response. These include weaknesses in inter-agency coordination, inconsistent SEA risk assessments, inadequate reporting mechanisms, insufficient and inconsistent PSEA training for personnel, and challenges in the consistent implementation of safeguarding measures across program operations. These gaps are collective responsibility of the humanitarian actors such as NGOs, UN agencies and government counterparts.
Issues related to aid worker conduct, such as underreporting and a lack of comprehensive understanding of SEA principles, further compound the risks. Despite community condemnation of SEA, barriers to reporting and a lack of trust in existing channels hinder community-led protection efforts.
However, the study also identifies crucial existing synergies that offer a foundation for strengthening PSEA. Leveraging established GBV and Child Protection referral pathways, the presence of inter-agency PSEA networks, the development of inter-agency SOPs, and the emergence of community-based PSEA initiatives represent key opportunities for building a more robust safeguarding framework.
The analysis of the data involved the identification of most significant SEA risks, which was categorized under the four dimensions of the IARA SEA Frames work: enabling environment, context, operational context and protective environment.