REDR UK HAS joined the United Nations to call for increased international presence to help overcome serious crises in Sudan and South Sudan.
Both states are facing severe humanitarian challenges, affecting more than seven million people across both states, which far outweigh local organisations’ capacity to respond.
RedR UK’s International Programmes Director Gill Price said: ‘From our experience of more than seven years in Sudan – and concerns shared with us by our international partners – it is clear that national and local organisations simply do not have the capacity to respond effectively to this scale of humanitarian need.’
In Darfur in 2013, more people were forced from their homes than in any year since 2004, and almost 200,000 more have already been displaced in the first three months of 2014.
More than two million people are now displaced in Darfur, and 6.1 million need humanitarian assistance across Sudan – 40 per cent more than in January 2013.
They need basic healthcare, education, water and sanitation.
But just three per cent of the funding needed for humanitarian aid for Sudan in 2014 has so far been received: US$34 million out of UD$995 million.
In South Sudan, thousands have been killed, more than 700,000 have fled their homes and remained in the state, and a further 250,000 have taken refuge in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.
Almost five million people now urgently need basic humanitarian aid in South Sudan.
The United Nations OCHA Operations Director John Ging returned from a visit late last week (March 25) to Sudan and South Sudan.
He said: ‘The scale of death and destruction in the world’s newest nation since last December is appalling. Six months ago, the country was on the right path to development. Today, the parties to the conflict are wantonly destroying the very infrastructure which was laying the foundation for the country’s future.
‘The people of Sudan are facing an overwhelming humanitarian crisis that has almost entirely slipped off the international community’s radar. Yet, while people’s needs are increasing, international attention and commitment are at an all-time low.’
RedR UK has a Sudan country office in Khartoum and is delivering vital training to enable the people of Sudan to gain the skills they need to ensure people have access to water, shelter and security, and to improve their lives in the longer term.
Our country office in South Sudan recently – temporarily – closed as funders turned their attention from skills development and training.
But this has left serious skills gaps, meaning that people face long periods without sufficient food, shelter and clean water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene.
Though local organisations are working in both countries, they lack the capacity to meet people’s needs, and in some cases need security training to ensure they do not face injury or death while helping others.
RedR UK was providing these services, and hopes to do so again in the near future. But funding is needed to do so.
Ms Price said: ‘In Sudan there is not only a significant reduction in funding but also a steady reduction in the presence of international organisations.
‘This means a growing reliance on the capacity of national and local organisations to deliver assistance with limited resources.
‘The lack of local response capacity in South Sudan is a chronic problem which has been further exacerbated by the violence in December which not only led to a massive increase in the scale of humanitarian needs but also impacted on the limited ability of the government and national and local organisations to provide support.
‘We are committed to supporting humanitarian agencies with immediate training and capacity building needs in safety, security and staff welfare but our ability to provide these services has also been severely diminished as the limited donor funding available has been focused on life-saving interventions rather than longer term concerns.’