Sudan Common Humanitarian Fund Interim Update 2013

FOREWORD

By the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator

The Sudan Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) has supported high priority humanitarian work in Sudan for nearly eight years. On top of the ongoing humanitarian crisis that continues to affect Sudan’s people, this year has seen a significant rise in new needs.

While the CHF has supported the emergency response to newly affected people, the fund – as well as humanitarian funding in Sudan overall – has faced challenges in keeping up with the needs.
At the beginning of 2013, we planned a response based upon an estimated number of 4.3 million people in humanitarian need. As we end the year, the number of affected people had increased substantially, and now is estimated to be 6.1 million people.

These figures were revised to include long term Chadian refugees in Darfur as well as severely and moderately food insecure populations in the eastern and central states of Sudan. But the key drivers of increased needs have been conflict and insecurity, where some 950,00 people have been displaced in Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. On top of that, 2013 had one of Sudan’s words flooding seasons in decades, that affected some 430,000 people at its peak.

This year, the CHF has given US$ 66.7million to humanitarian partners, and I am pleased to say that 11 per cent of that funding went directly to Sudanese organizations – an increase from 9 per cent last year. In large part because of our national colleagues, the CHF is able to continue its strong support to projects in Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

In 2013, the CHF has further strengthened its monitoring capacity with financing for dedicated monitoring officers in five key sectors: health, nutrition, water and sanitation, food security, and protection. This increase in capacity helps me be better informed on project successes and challenges.
Among the fund’s ongoing accomplishments is providing predictable, timely funding for core pipeline supplies in life-saving sectors like health, nutrition and water and sanitation, and for key humanitarian services like UNHAS flights to transport humanitarian personnel and supplies to affected people.
Amidst the new needs this year, and in a challenging funding environment, where overall funding to the Sudan Humanitarian Workplan has declined over 26 per cent since 2011, continued support for the CHF is more critical than ever.

I sincerely thank all CHF donors for their support, and I look forward to their continued partnership. I urge current and potential new donors to consider increasing or extending support to the CHF in 2014 to help keep this fund a vital part of Sudan’s humanitarian funding landscape.

Ali Al-Za’tari UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan 21 November 2013