Sudan: Flash Update #8 - Conflict, West Darfur and South Darfur, as of 8 February 2020

KEY POINTS

• The key roads to Ag Geneina, West Darfur have been opened for the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel following the agreement reached by the high-level delegation from Khartoum.

• An aid convoy from Zalingei arrived in Ag Geneina on 7 February taking supplies for people in and outside of the town.

• About 67,400 IDPs in Ag Geneina received food for one month, over 37,000 people received NFIs and 35,000 people are provided with access to water. IDPs in the 71 gathering sites can access health services at 21 health facilities.

• Aid workers are ready to assess the needs and provide assistance to all affected and vulnerable people in and outside Ag Geneina based on the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

• A rapid needs assessment of three affected villages outside Geneina is set to take place on 9 February.

• More people have been displaced in the first month of 2021 than in 2020.

• Early and flexible HRP 2021 funding is needed to sustain emergency and planned response for 8.9 million people.

Situation

A humanitarian convoy arrived on 7 February in Ag Geneina from Zalingei, Central Darfur, delivering the supplies of the government authorities, UN agencies, and NGOs. The arrival of the convoy became possible after main roads to Ag Geneina, which were blocked by protesters, re-opened on 7 February following the interventions by a high-level delegation that arrived in West Darfur last week.

On 6 February, Muhammad Zain Idris, a spokesperson for the sit-in committee in Ag Geneina, confirmed that an agreement had been reached with the delegation led by Mohammed Hassan El Faki, a member of the Sovereign Council. The committee immediately proceeded to remove barricades and open the roads.

The UN and partners delivered food to about 67,400 IDPs in Ag Geneina town, about 37,100 IDPs in town received emergency shelter and non-food items, while about 35,000 people were provided with access water as of 8 February.
Health services are available at 21 health clinic providing health care to all IDPs in Ag Geneina. About 2,500 women and girls have received dignity kits, with an additional 10,000 female IDPs set to receive dignity kits this week.

Many gathering points in town are overcrowded and lack latrines and other emergency WASH facilities. There is limited privacy, placing women, girls, and boys at risk of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). According to health experts, the overall health situation in gathering sites is a perfect ground for the spread of communicable diseases, such as cholera, measles and COVID-19. The government authorities intend to relocate the IDPs in some public buildings to an alternative site.

Aid agencies are ready to carry out assessments and provide humanitarian assistance to an estimated 45,000 people in villages outside Ag Geneina. Humanitarian organisations emphasise that they provide humanitarian assistance to all affected, displaced and vulnerable communities who need assistance based on the principals of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

Overall, humanitarian agencies in Sudan need US$1.9 billion to save lives and provide humanitarian assistance to 8.9 million people across the country. The funding is urgently needed; more people have been displaced in the first month of 2021 than in the whole of 2020. The response in Ag Geneina is estimated at $30 million. Aid organisations need early and flexible funding for the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan to sustain humanitarian operations and provide timely response.

An operational response plan is being finalised to assist 100,000 people in West Darfur for six months at the cost of $30 million. The key priorities are protection, WASH, shelter and NFIs, and education in emergencies.
So far, about $7 million have been mobilised, about half of which is re-programmed funding. New funding includes $1.3 million from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF), $550,000 from the USAID through IOM’s Rapid Response Fund, and $270,000 from the Start Network.