Japan contributes $1.11 to enhance IOM operations in Darfur
March 3, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The government of Japan has committed $ 1.11 million to support International Organisation for Migation (IOM) Sudan’s operation to improve human security of IDPs and mobile populations in Darfur.
Japan has been supporting IOM’s community stabilisation and transitional recovery activities in Darfur, expanding its assistance to IOM in 2015.
Hideki Ito, the ambassador of Japan to Sudan expressed in a joint press release on Tuesday his sadness to hear that displacement of people continues as a result of conflicts in Darfur and elsewhere, all armed parties to exercise maximum self-restraint.
He stressed that negotiations are a very essential step to achieve a peaceful solution, pointing to an urgent humanitarian need for the newly displaced.
“I hope that this aid provided through IOM will alleviate some of their sufferings and agonies,” he said.
IOM’s 12-month-long project, “Improving the Human Security of IDPs and Mobile Populations in Conflict and Natural Disaster Affected Areas in Sudan,” is a comprehensive and integrated assistance program to support conflicts and natural disaster affected populations, particularly in Darfur.
“IOM will provide livelihood assistances to IDPs, focusing on women and female-headed households, so as to break the cycle of aid dependency,” said IOM in a statement.
It also seeks to enhance dignity of crises affected populations “through the establishment of the Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items (ES and NFI) preparedness and response capacity, taking into consideration the newly IDPs by conflicts and/or natural disasters.”
IOM’s project will also respond to urgent primary health care, including mother and child health needs, as well as awareness-raising campaign and prevention of infectious diseases.
Mario Lito Malanca, chief of mission, IOM Sudan, for his part, expressed concern over the dramatically deteriorating forced migration situation and following returns, as well as the protracted displacements across Darfur.
“This timely contribution from Japan helps us to continue our services to support the vulnerable population and build their resilience,” said Malanca.
In 2014, IOM improved access and utilization of basic services on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and health for new IDPs who fled from the intensifying conflicts in Darfur.
It also delivered safe-drinking water and sanitation facilities in major IDP camps across Darfur.
In Zam Zam IDP Camp, North Darfur, Japan’s assistance became a life-sustaining water source, in its literal sense of the word, when 5,000 new IDPs were without water because an existing water point had broken down and there was no partner to fill the gap.
On health, IOM conducted several types of trainings in IDP camps, such as psychological first aid, peer health education, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
It will expand the basic service assistance in 2015 to establish a mobile primary health care clinic and raise awareness and prevent spread of infectious diseases.
Similarly, IOM’s vocational trainings will be expanded in Darfur so as to improve disaster preparedness and resilience.
In 2014, IOM trained 143 male and female youths, from IDP camps and El Fasher urban area, at the El Fasher Technical School, North Darfur.
The IOM project will also continue the vocational training in 2015, while diversifying the training courses and putting much focus on IDP women.
“Because of the concerns of Gender Based Violence (GBV) when moving between the IDP camps/sites and towns, many IDP women cannot move outside their camps on a regular basis. IOM will prioritize such IDP women living within IDP camps/sites and provide them with vocational trainings so as to diversify their livelihoods and build their resilience to shocks, including conflicts and natural disasters,” the statement read.
Darfur has been a flashpoint for lawlessness and violence since rebel movements took up arms against the Khartoum government in 2003.
The United Nations estimates as many as 300,000 people have been killed and almost 3 million people have been displaced during the ongoing conflict.
According to the UN Human Rights Council, 400,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced.
(ST)