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 OCHA report (Re: Adil Isaac)
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The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and
principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.
SUDAN
Situation Report #2
13 March 2009
ochaonline.un.org/OchaLinkClick.aspx?link=ocha&docId=1108969
This report was issued by OCHA New York. It covers the period from 8 to 13 March. The next report will be issued
on or around 20 March 2009.
Immediately after the decision made by the Government of Sudan to expel 13 International NGOs (INGOs),
several incidents involving the harassment and detention of staff, asset seizures and break-ins in NGO
compounds were reported. The majority took place early last week, when the International Criminal Court
(ICC) decision was first announced. Most of the incidents reported occurred in Khartoum, and details are
being compiled to be shared with the authorities. Crucial humanitarian assets belonging to the United Nations
and NGOs have been confiscated from the expelled humanitarian organizations, including computers,
vehicles, and communications equipment. Following unified concern over the safety of international and
national staff of the expelled organizations, the level of harassment and seizures had decreased for most
organizations. At the federal level, the Government of Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) has
stated that:
1. INGO assets will remain assigned to INGO project locations, and, if possible, will be used to support
similar activities in the future;
2. A clear administrative framework will be defined for the closure of the INGOs;
3. The safety of NGO staff, both national and international, will be assured by the Government.
4. For the remaining INGOs working in Sudan, Technical Agreements will be negotiated as soon as
possible at the Line Ministries and State HAC levels;
5. Access to offices and office equipment (files, computers), guesthouses, and vehicles in Khartoum
should be granted according to the needs dictated by the administrative closure, and;
6. The Government committed to the 2004 Moratorium on Restriction (Darfur Emergency Program),
March 2007 Joint Communiqué on the facilitation of the humanitarian assistance in Darfur and to all
coordination mechanisms in place.
In Zam Zam camp, North Darfur, the rate of new arrivals from the Muhajariya region in South Darfur has
slowed. There are more than 33,900 new arrivals already in the camp. Access to safe drinking water,
emergency shelter and allocation of sufficient space are just some of the issues the humanitarians are dealing
with.
I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES
A meningitis outbreak in Kalma camp, South Darfur, is of growing concern. Two meningitis deaths were
reported from the camp on 10 March. WHO has confirmed a total of 54 cases since January. South Darfur
accounts for 41 of these cases with four deaths; North Darfur has five cases while West Darfur has four
cases. Nine suspected cases have also been reported by the Nertiti HAC commissioner. Three tested
positive. MSF-France, one of the expelled NGOs, was the only medical actor in the area.
Information is also coming in about the impact of the expulsions in Sudan’s three “Protocol Areas”, Abyei,
Blue Nile, and Southern Kordofan, which were particularly hard-hit by the country’s decades of warfare, and
Eastern Sudan, which includes Kassala, Gedarif and Red Sea.
In order to identify the most urgent needs and the gaps left by the expulsion or dissolution of the 16 NGOs,
the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the UN have agreed to carry out joint assessments in the three Darfur
states. The assessments began on 11 March and are tentatively planned to be completed around 18
March. The teams are focusing on the following sectors: water, sanitation, and hygiene; health and
nutrition; food aid; and non-food items and shelter.
II. Situation Overview
The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective
and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.
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The abduction of MSF staff in Darfur on 11 March, combined with the injury of UNAMID peacekeepers, has
left the humanitarian community feeling vulnerable.
Food and Nutrition
NEEDS AND KEY GAPS: The expulsion of CARE, Save the Children US, ACF and Solidarités threatens the
distribution of food aid to 1.1 million people.
• With the loss of all MSF chapters, an estimated 7,000 children who are, or will become, moderately or
severely malnourished, risk not being treated. Access to targeted feeding programmes in the most vulnerable
remote rural areas and IDP camps has been decreased significantly, thus increasing risk of mortality.
• The interruption of the General Food Distribution threatens the well-being of vulnerable families. This
programme ordinarily provides preventive support, without which increased malnutrition will set in. Those who
become malnourished will need to be treated with a reduced nutrition infrastructure.
RESPONSE: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is starting a one-off food distribution that will
provide 1.1 million people with enough food for two months. WFP recognizes that monitoring may not be
sufficient and gaps in distribution may occur. WFP acknowledges that the one-off food distribution cannot be
repeated and short-term solutions are unsustainable in the longer-term.
• A complete inventory of stocks and stores is still pending. Supplies for specialized feeding programmes may
have been lost as a result of the expulsion. Within Darfur it is estimated that there are enough stocks with
operational NGOs to cover one month. The key to preventing shortages will be replenishment.
Health
NEEDS AND KEY GAPS: The expulsion of the NGOs is estimated to affect health service delivery for up to
1.5 million people in Darfur.
• Basic provision of healthcare services, early warning, and sentinel surveillance systems relied heavily on the
presence of the now expelled NGOs in a number of areas, including camps.
• The meningitis outbreak at the Kalma camp in South Darfur is a growing concern. 41 suspected cases have
been reported. Two samples sent to the MoH laboratory in Khartoum were positive in epidemiological week 7
and another positive in week 8. The situation was therefore termed an outbreak by the SMoH.
• Nine cases of suspected meningitis have also been confirmed by the HAC commissioner for Nertiti, West
Darfur. Three tests were positive. Some areas close to Nertiti are not assessable to HAC, and there is a high
probability that there are more cases. Because of the expulsions, there is no direct access to health care, as
MSF was the only medical actor in the area.
RESPONSE: The State-Level Inter Agency Management Group (IAMG) continues to search for a partner with
enough capacity to counter the meningitis outbreak in Kalma camp. There are sufficient supplies for a
vaccination of some 88,000 people in the camp, as part of preventive measures. Another 32,000 persons in
Beleil camp will also require vaccination. If the campaign does not take place, given the reduced capacity to
fight the disease, ther is a risk it will spread outside the camp.
• A mission to Nertiti to follow up and monitor the meningitis situation is pending. Prior to its expulsion, the
INGO in the area reported a number of the cases as coming from the non-signatory held area outside Nertiti.
• Sudan’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has stated they have deployed 100 doctors to Darfur. Their precise
locations, scope of operation and speculation is not yet known.
Logistics and Emergency Shelter
NEEDS AND KEY GAPS: With the rainy season approaching, replenishment of key items such as basic
household items and kitchen supplies to the population is essential. Most distribution must take place jn one
month for 700,000 people
• Of the 16 NGOs that were expelled, 11 were logistics and emergency shelter sector partners.
RESPONSE: All UNJLC’s NFI items in Darfur are housed in premises that are not currently accessible to
humanitarians. Despite the needs, and the availability of the items on the ground, the items cannot be
distributed.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
III. Humanitarian Needs and Response
The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective
and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.
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NEEDS AND KEY GAPS: Access to adequate amounts of safe drinking water for some 1.16 million people is
not assured. UNICEF estimates that only 30 to 35 percent of needs may be addressed in the coming weeks.
UNICEF can deploy some staff to support in the initial 1-2 weeks, with Government cooperation.
• Sanitation and hygiene services have been compromised and chlorination services interrupted in many
areas. Basic maintenance of structures is imperative. Trained community members could perform some of
these tasks, if facilitated with the necessary equipment and support.
• If not addressed efficiently and in a timely manner, there is an increased risk of outbreaks of hygiene-
preventable illnesses, like diarrhea and cholera.
• Many remaining facilities such as health and feeding centers relied on water services provided by the now
expelled NGOs. Re-supply of water services to such facilities is essential.
RESPONSE: The Governmental bodies of Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) Project and the State
Water Corporation (SWC) plan to fill gaps.
• Where government entities cannot reach some of the IDP camps and non-signatory held areas, community-
based organizations need to be empowered to take on the role of service providers. UNICEF and the SWC
could work with the remaining NGOs in the three Darfur states (25 out of 30 areas) to respond to immediate
issues on a temporary basis.
Following a series of meetings at many levels by the United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the
Secretary-General/Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC) and OCHA, joint United
Nations/ Government of Sudan assessments of humanitarian needs in Darfur were agreed. Assessments of
the three Darfur states began on 11 March. Each team comprises a technical representative from the UN and
the GoS, for each of the four emergency sectors, health & nutrition; water/sanitation; food and emergency
shelter. The aim is to assess the impact of the removal of the 16 NGOs operations, to identify the immediate
life threatening issues and to assess possible interventions to meet these needs. OCHA and HAC are
supporting the teams administratively. UNHAS, with funding from the Common Humanitarian Fund for Sudan
(CHF) are facilitating the assessments. The field assessments are tentatively scheduled to be completed
around 18 March.
Support to the remaining staff of the expelled INGOs continues. An informal group has been set up, to provide
peer support, cohesion and facilitation. Access to internet connections, facilitating transport and other
practical support has been provided by other organizations and the UN. For those seeking emotional support,
a UN staff counsellor will be provided. Most of the international staff of expelled NGOs who are still in Sudan
are involved in facilitating the close-out process. A clear framework for close-out is being elaborated with
HAC. HAC with other governmental stakeholders have set up committees to work with the expelled NGO
teams.
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Adil Isaac
nada ali
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست