Darfur mission offers projects to ameliorate communities’ conditions

June 17, 2009 (EL GENEINA) – The deputy head of the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur said today that the UNAMID hopes to implement more “quick impact projects” (QIPs) across the troubled region to help local communities rehabilitate schools, improve hospitals and strengthen vital infrastructure.

Speaking during a visit to the site of a successful QIP in the West Darfur capital, El Geneina, Mr. Henry Anyidoho, UNAMID’s Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR), said the projects offered a way for the Mission to engage with the community to directly benefit towns and villages.

But he said he wanted more participation from local communities in determining priority projects – QIPs are small-scale projects, funded by the Mission, which can be implemented rapidly and are of concrete benefit to local communities.

Mr. Anyidoho toured El Geneina Hospital, which is already both the busiest hospital in the state and the subject of increasing demand. The hospital is being supported by two QIPs (worth a total of $46,000) to rehabilitate the operating theatre and to buy advanced equipment for its ophthalmology section.

The hospital’s Dr Balla Abbas said the funding from the QIPs was making a critical difference, given the estimated 350 operations performed at the hospital each month. He said the hospital plans to apply for more QIP funding in the future to buy more equipment and alleviate overcrowding in the wards.

“We will try to support you,” Mr. Anyidoho said. “You are in the life-saving business.”

(ST)