Sudan alert: Flooding and surging inflation threaten humanitarian assistance (02.10.2020)

COVID-19 virus transmission has continued, with 13,653 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 836 deaths.

NEW YORK, United States of America, October 2, 2020 – Catastrophic flooding and rising food and health costs in Sudan, have driven up the number of people in need, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday.

Authorities declared a three-month state of emergency in early September after the worst flooding in 30 years. 

To date, more than 860,000 people have had houses destroyed or damaged and more than 120 people have died. 

Some 560 schools and thousands of health facilities have also been affected, compromising essential services to communities, especially in North Darfur, Khartoum, West Darfur and Sennar, which account for 52 per cent of all people affected 400,000 reached and counting 

The response by UN agencies and partners has reached more than 400,000 people so far, including emergency shelter and essential household items relief to over 181,000 flood-affected refugees, 1.87 million internally displaced people and Sudanese across the country. 

Meanwhile, COVID-19 virus transmission has continued, with 13,653 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 836 deaths, according official data from the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Amid growing needs, surging inflation – reaching nearly 170 per cent in August – has caused a shortage of basic commodities and increased prices of some locally sourced supplies by 300 to 400 per cent. 

“In some cases, by the time the procurement process is finalized, the supplies have increased prices, so that the original budgets are no longer valid”, said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.  

He explained that this meant the purchasing process had to begin again and “there is no guarantee that by the time that that process is done, that the prices will not have risen once again”

Healthcare costs have also increased by up to 90 per cent, OCHA Sudan said in a recent tweet

In Geneva, Mr. Laerke noted that the price of an average family food basket had increased by over 200 per cent since last year, based on World Food Programme (WFP) data, increasing pressure on already dramatic levels of food insecurity across Sudan, where 9.6 million people are described as “severely” in need.  

Cash shortfalls 

Inflation has also affected the UN’s humanitarian partners which provide cash support to vulnerable families, as they are constantly having to adjust the amounts transferred, Mr. Laerke said. 

Even with these adjustments, many families are no longer able to purchase what they need with the cash received. 

Today, only one in four families who previously relied on outside assistance now receives it, the OCHA spokesperson said.  

Crop failure 

Another concern in Sudan is that large areas of farmland are under water or ruined just before harvest.  

“Most families in Sudan already spent around 65 per cent of their income on food, so these price hikes lead to increased hunger and less education, health and other services that families de-prioritize as they try to cope with the economic hardship”, Mr. Laerke explained.

Sudan: Humanitarians assist hundreds of thousands of people as the country faces its worst flooding in decades (21.09.2020)

World Food Programme (WFP) expands assistance to families struggling in flood-devastated regions of Sudan (17.09.2020)

The flooding is the worst Sudan has seen in nearly a century.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, September 17, 2020 – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling up its emergency food assistance to reach nearly 160,000 people hit by devastating floods that have affected nine states of Sudan.

“Rains and floods have been much worse than anyone could have anticipated, causing a national disaster,” said WFP Representative and Country Director in Sudan, Hameed Nuru ”People have lost their homes, farmlands, schools and loved ones. Some of these people have lost everything.”

The flooding is the worst Sudan has seen in nearly a century. According to the Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission, 650,000 people have been affected since the start of the rains in mid-July.

WFP provided a first round of emergency food assistance to 7,200 people and distributions for 40,000 people are currently ongoing.  “WFP is working tirelessly with the Government of Sudan and partners to get food out to the affected people. Together, we are trying to scale up the number of people reached every day,” he added.

WFP is planning to distribute two-week rations to flood-affected people in Khartoum, East and North Darfur, White Nile, North and West Kordofan, Red Sea, Sennar, and Kassala. As more assessments are underway, the number of flood-affected people requiring food assistance is likely to increase.

With the heavy rains making access to affected areas difficult, WFP has facilitated rapid needs assessments and delivery of assistance using the WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS). Since the start of flood season, WFP has participated in some 20 assessment missions to guide interventions and identify people who are most in need. WFP has transported three metric tons of food supplies provided by the government to flood-affected people in Bout town in Blue Nile state.

The devastating floods come at a time when hunger levels remain alarmingly high in Sudan with increased and protracted displacement, economic decline and inflation, and high food price hikes, exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, WFP continues to provide emergency food assistance to ensure critical support reach the people in need.

“WFP is also working to implement all necessary precautions during distributions to minimize the risk of contacting or spreading COVID-19 and ensure the safety of staff and the people we serve,” Nuru said.

WFP’s flood response to date has been made possible by the generosity of donors, including German Federal Foreign Office, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, and the United States Agency for International Development.

African Union (AU): Press Release on Sudan (04.09.2020)

Sudan: UN agencies support flood response in Sudan but warn aid stocks ‘rapidly’ depleting (02.09.2020)

Across Sudan, some 37,000 homes were destroyed in the floods, forcing families to seek shelter with relatives and host communities.

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 2, 2020 – The UN and its partners are supporting the Sudanese Government as it responds to recent severe flooding, which has killed 90 people and affected 380,000 others, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said on Tuesday.

The flooding was triggered by heavy seasonal rains, mainly in neighbouring Ethiopia, which caused the Nile River to rise to nearly 17.5 metres (roughly 57 feet) this past weekend: the highest level in 100 years, according to the authorities.

OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke said the government has declared a state of emergency in Khartoum state alone, where more than 21,000 people have been affected by flooding since the end of July.

Homes destroyed, water contaminated

Across Sudan, some 37,000 homes were destroyed in the floods, forcing families to seek shelter with relatives and host communities. Another 39,000 houses have been damaged, along with 34 schools and nearly 2,700 health facilities.

“Access to clean water – critical in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic – has also been affected”, said Mr. Laerke, speaking from Geneva. “Some 2,000 water sources are contaminated or non-functional, according to initial assessments.”

The flooding has also impacted an estimated 125,000 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), the UN refugee agency, UNHCR added.

Spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said rains have been particularly heavy in North Darfur state, leaving an estimated 35,000 IDPs, locals and refugees in need of help, where 15 people have died and a further 23 have gone missing.

“In Khartoum’s ‘Open Areas’ on the outskirts of the city, many South Sudanese refugees were living in make-shift homes and are in dire need of shelter,” she said.

“UNHCR is deeply saddened at the death of an 18-month old refugee girl who drowned in a collapsed latrine.”

Stockpiles rapidly dwindling

The UN and humanitarian partners are supporting national response with emergency shelter and household supplies, together with water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, food, health services and vector control.

Mr. Laerke reported that they were able to respond quickly as supplies to meet the needs of 250,000 people had been pre-positioned before the rains started.

However, with stocks “being depleted rapidly”, OCHA is calling for wider support from the international community as a $1.6 billion humanitarian plan for Sudan is less than 44 per cent funded.

IGAD Commends the Sudan Peace Agreement (01.09.2020)

Sudan: Violence in Eastern Sudan – Kassala and Red Sea – Flash Update No. 2 (27.08.2020)

Sudan: COVID-19, flooding and pockets of violence continue to drive humanitarian needs in Sudan (07.08.2020)

Since the start of the pandemic, over 36,000 children in White Nile received psychosocial support to deal with stress caused by COVID-19.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, August 7, 2020 – Number of COVID-19 transmissions continue to increase in Sudan. Nearly 11,800 people had contracted the virus, including 763 who died from the disease, as of 3 August.

Since the start of the pandemic, over 36,000 children in White Nile received psychosocial support to deal with stress caused by COVID-19.

Meanwhile, humanitarians and the Government are providing life-saving assistance to people who lost their houses, food and livelihoods during the recent floods across the country. More than 50,000 people have been affected so far.

Aid organizations are also assisting millions of people across Sudan in a monthly basis, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, insecurity and the economic crisis.

Sudan: US$ 283 million needed to support people affected by COVID-19 (19.07.2020)

Coronavirus – Sudan: More than 350,000 people received humanitarian assistance in previously inaccessible areas of South Darfur (09.07.2020)

Other areas of Jebel Marra in Central and South Darfur States are already receiving food, emergency shelter, non-food supplies, health, nutrition, WASH and education services.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, July 9 – United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners have provided life-assistance to about 350,000 people in previously inaccessible parts of the Jebel Marra area, in South Darfur, over the past nine months, overcoming important challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, humanitarians reached different communities for the first time in 10 years, during a need’s assessment carried out at the end of June in the area. According to the preliminary findings of the studies, hundreds of thousands of people across several communities in the region have little or no access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation products, and also lack health, nutrition, education and protection services.

The last mission, led by OCHA, could assess the situation in South Jebel Marra locality, on the boundary between Government-controlled and Sudan Liberation Army – Abdel Wahid (SLA/AW)-controlled areas. According to the community leaders, there are about 127,000 people in Gorlanbang Village alone, including 11,800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from surrounding villages and 9,400 returnees. The IDP community reported that they have not been able to travel to their home villages since 2017 due to security concerns. Fears of sexual gender-based violence also prevents women from going to their farms or collecting firewood.

In North and West Jebel Marra localities, IOM and other humanitarian partners are completing the registration of people in need and providing emergency humanitarian needs assistance. Other areas of Jebel Marra in Central and South Darfur States are already receiving food, emergency shelter, non-food supplies, health, nutrition, WASH and education services.

The recent missions and assistance provided have been possible following important progress made since the last quarter of 2019 to facilitate humanitarian access to inaccessible communities in Darfur, with support from the Government, non-state actors and the African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).