Humanitarian Action in Darfur Weekly Bulletin No.33
18 September 2008
KEY OVERALL DEVELOPMENTS
In August, the World Food Programme (WFP) provided 3.3 million people in Darfur with 31,385 metric tons (MT) of food assistance. Food was provided at a reduced ration scale, meeting 75% of the daily kilo/calorie requirement, due to continuing food delivery delays caused by banditry activities. Food rations were further reduced in September, excluding corn-soya blend (CSB) from the General Food Distribution (GFD) basket to prioritise available CSB stocks in Darfur to support nutrition interventions targeting children and women. The revised food basket now provides 71% of the daily kilo/calorie requirement, which remains in jeopardy of further ration cuts should the security situation not improve.
POPULATION MOVEMENTS
WFP reported that 541 people who were displaced from Sania Afandu and Buram were verified this week and added to the GFD caseload. A WFP security assessment is ongoing in the Sania Afandu area, which has been inaccessible for a long period of time. Significant population movements from this area have been observed, and those fleeing have been assisted in other locations. The findings of the security assessment will enable the launch of a humanitarian mission to assess the situation of those remaining in the Sania Afandu area.
NEEDS AND RESPONSE BY SECTOR
Education
North Darfur
Classroom rehabilitation continues in El Sereaf and Saraf Omra localites. The Autash Association for Peace and Development — with UNICEF support — completed the rehabilitation of eight (8) permanent classrooms in El Sereaf girls’ school benefiting 400 girls (60% of whom are nomadic children). The association transported all construction materials to the selected locations in Saraf Omra and El Sereaf localities for the construction of 12 additional permanent classrooms which will benefit over 600 school age children. In coordination with UNICEF, the State Ministry of Education (SMoE) released six (6) blackboards, six (6) classroom kits, and six (6) pupil kits (G1 – G4) to schools in El Fasher rural benefiting over 400 girls. In collaboration with the SMoE and UNICEF, Save the Children Sweden completed the construction of six (6) classrooms in As Salaam IDP Camp benefiting 400 children.
Food Security and Livelihoods
North Darfur
– Oxfam has been implementing training sessions on Management of Natural Resources, to community rganizations in Kabkabiya. Topics included in the training include land use, rainwater harvesting, and agricultural uses of sorghum and millet.
– Oxfam gave cash grants of 200 SDG to 200 selected women in Abu Shouk and As Salaam IDP Camps. The women completed a two-day training session in trade and business management, and have said they will use the grant to establish a range of small businesses including selling vegetables, firewood and charcoal, and selling tea and coffee.
– Over the last month, Oxfam – in collaboration with the National Forestry Commission and local community partners — has planted nearly 16,000 tree seedlings in Kabkabiya in North Darfur.
– Food distributions were completed in Kassab, Fata Borno and Abu Shouk IDP Camps, while they are ongoing in As Salaam IDP Camp. Food distributions resumed in rural Kabkabiya after being suspended in August due to road inaccessibility. Currently, 29% of the September food deliveries have been effected.
– WFP partner, Médecins Sans Frontiers (MSF)-Belgium, carried out Blanket Supplementary Feeding Programme (BSFP) training for 311 community representatives, majority of them women, of Kabkabiya town. The training aims to sensitize beneficiary households on how to prepare the BSFP premix, proper storage and good hygiene practices. The trained community representatives are expected to disseminate the message to other members of the community ahead of the planned BSFP distributions scheduled for this month.
South Darfur
Supplementary and blanket supplementary food distributions were completed in Otash, El Serif, Manawashi and Ed Daein IDP Camps. Meanwhile, WFP partner, American Refugee Committee (ARC), is continuing its screening and referral of households that qualify for Supplementary Feeding support to the WFP distribution centre.
West Darfur
– Food deliveries to El Geneina have been problematic, particularly with ongoing rains. Efforts are being made to dispatch food to Geneina from Nyala.
– In El Geneina, 57 schools received 212 MT of food in support of the Food for Education programme. The programme currently reaches 123 basic schools in El Geneina, Habila, Forbaranga, Zalingei and Mukjar localities.
Health and Nutrition
North Darfur
Oxfam carried out a five-day community awareness campaign in Kabkabiya town. The team visited 8,500 households, to promote prevention of Malaria and Acute Watery Diarrhoea. The campaign was undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Sudanese Red Crescent and local youth groups.
Non-Food Items (NFIs)
As Sector Lead, the United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) continues to monitor flooding throughout all three Darfur states and coordinate effective and timely flood-response with partners operating in the affected localities. Beneficiaries, who have lost their household possessions due to flooding, are receiving plastic sheeting, blankets, plastic sleeping mats, and jerry cans. This week, responses to flooding focused on mitigating the effects of recent rains in North Darfur.
North Darfur
This week the Common Pipeline supported 770 flood-affected households with non-food items. Distributions were made by the NGO African Humanitarian Action (AHA) in the Dar el Salam locality and by German Agro Action (GAA) in Mellit.
South Darfur
The Sudan Development Organisation (SUDO) distributed NFIs to 990 households of vulnerable populations in Bielel IDP Camp. Items distributed were plastic sheeting, blankets, plastic sleeping mats and jerry cans.
Protection and Human Rights
South Darfur
– The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) campaign continued with UNICEF supported activities reaching community members who work in the Child Friendly Community Initiative (CFCI) villages. A training session in DDR basic concepts and awareness was attended by eight (8) CFCI animators and nine (9) social workers. The training included the goal of the campaign, the plans, the use of the materials, the methodology, the communication skills and the role of the social workers and animators in relation to DDR.
– In Gereida IDP Camp, UNICEF has supported partners, Children Development Foundation (CDF), ARC, and Merlin in the rehabilitation of four (4) youth centers, and the construction of another four (4) youth centres, reaching 27,000 youth, adolescents and children. The eight (8) centers provide psychosocial and educational activities related to sport, drama, recreational activities, literacy classes and English language learning. Some 1,772 women — mainly girls — are attending literacy classes on daily basis in the eight (8) youth centers.
Water and Sanitation
North Darfur
Oxfam’s teams in the IDP camps of Shangil Tobayi, Abu Shouk and As Salaam have repaired and constructed nearly 600 latrines in the past month. The communities have provided time and labor to assist with the repairs.
South Darfur
– The backfilling and rehabilitation of latrines has been on going in Beliel, Al Salam and Otash IDP Camps. “Backfilling” is the term for simply filling in used latrines. Maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of latrines is on going in flood affected areas of Kalma IDP Camp. Hygiene promotion activities, along with jerry can cleaning, have also been rigorously undertaken.
– UNICEF — in collaboration with the State Water Corporation Water Environment Sanitation (WES) team — have initiated sessions for school children within Al Salam IDP Camp to assist in the dissemination of hygiene messages within the community.
West Darfur
With UNICEF support, the WES project has constructed 21 household latrines to provided 216 people in Krinding-I with safe excreta disposal facilities. The WES project also conducted cleaning campaigns in Nertiti with approximately 160 households. A further 534 households were reached with hygiene promotion messages particularly focusing upon personal hygiene and environment cleanliness in Dorti, El Riyad, Nertiti and Ardamata IDP Camps.