OCHA Sudan: Blue Nile State Profile (March 2023)

BACKGROUND

Blue Nile State is in southeastern Sudan. It borders Sennar State and shares international borders with Ethiopia and South Sudan. Its state capital is Ed Damazine town. The main tribes in the state are the Ingassana, Felata, Hamaj, and Housa.

In September 2011, fighting between Government forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) spread into the state from South Kordofan. In 2017, the SPLM-N split into two factions over disagreements on the direction of the movement, which led to violent clashes between the followers of Malik Agar and Abdelaziz Al Hilu. However, the political landscape significantly changed following the establishment of the Transitional Government in August 2019. The Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) of October 2020, in which SPLM-N Malik Agar is a signatory, designates Blue Nile as an autonomous region. The Government continues to pursue peace talks with SPLM-N Al Hilu.

There are six neighbourhoods and 37 villages in the state hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mobility Tracking Round Five.

BLUE NILE IN NUMBERS

1.4 million population in 2023 (National: 49.7 million)

84 in 1,000 number of children who die before their 5th birthday (National: 68)

82.1% children who complete primary school and continue to secondary school (National: 90.7%)

36.1% percentage of literate young women (15 – 24 years) (National: 59.8%)

50.1% percentage of girls married before the age of 18 (National 38%)

46.7% chronic malnutrition (severe and moderate) prevalence among children U5 (National: 38.2%)

11.1% GAM (Global Acute Malnutrition) prevalence among children U5 (National: 16.3%)

50,430 number of children U5 suffering from GAM (National: 3.1 million)

323,209 number of people projected at IPC phase 3 & 4 (Oct 2022 – Feb 2023) (National: 7.7 million)

71.3% percentage of people with access to improved drinking water (National: 68%)