BACKGROUND
Gedaref State is in the eastern part of Sudan. It borders Sennar, Aj Jazirah, Khartoum and Kassala states, and shares an international border with Ethiopia. Its state capital is Gedaref town. There are two international border crossings in Gedaref State, the Hamdayet border crossing in the north and the Gallabat border crossing in the south. There are two main refugee camps in Gedaref (Um Rakuba and Um Gargour) and two refugee settlements (Tunaydbah and Babikri).
Gedaref is home to many tribes including Arabs, Beja, Nubian, and other groups. The state is characterized by vast agricultural land and large-scale rainfed agriculture activities. Sesame and sorghum are the main agricultural products. Rainfed agriculture and Arabic Gum production are the main sources of income and livelihoods for people in the state.
There are two camps, three neighbourhoods and 12 villages in the state hosting internally displaced people (IDPs), according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mobility Tracking Round Five.
HUMANITARIAN OVERVIEW
Localized disputes, border tensions, floods and refugee influxes are the main drivers of humanitarian needs in Gedaref State.
Tensions along the Ethiopia-Sudan border escalated in late 2020 when the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) retook control of the Al Fashaga area after 25 years of absence. For decades Ethiopian farmers had been planting crops in this fertile area. Tensions and sporadic fighting between SAF, the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the Amhara Militia in Al Fashaga continue.
GEDAREF IN NUMBERS
2.6 million population in 2023 (National: 49.7 million)
77 in 1,000 number of children who die before their 5th birthday (National: 68)
87.6% children who complete primary school and continue to secondary school (National: 90.7%)"
42.8% percentage of literate young women (15 - 24 years) (National: 59.8%)
49.3% percentage of girls married before the age of 18 (National 38%)
46% chronic malnutrition (severe and moderate) prevalence among children U5 (National: 38.2%)
15.4% GAM (Global Acute Malnutrition) prevalence among children U5 (National: 16.3%)
137,527 number of children U5 suffering from GAM (National: 3.1 million)
408,884 number of people projected at IPC phase 3 & 4 (Oct 2022 - Feb 2023) (National: 7.7 million)
27.7% percentage of people with access to improved drinking water (National: 68%)
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.