Sudan Humanitarian Update (1 - 30 November 2024)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher arrived in Sudan for an eight-day visit where he met with the authorities and displaced communities in Port Sudan, Kassala and West Darfur State.
  • Sudan has the highest number of malnutrition cases in eastern Africa, with an estimated 3.7 million children aged 6 to 59 months and 1 million pregnant and breastfeeding women acutely malnourished.
  • Partners warn that about 40 to 45 per cent of the country’s population – will need humanitarian food assistance in May 2025.
  • Malaria and polio vaccination campaigns launched to curb the spread of the outbreaks.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator visit to Sudan

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC) Tom Fletcher arrived in Port Sudan for an eight-day visit from 23-30 November 2024. During his visit, Mr. Fletcher met with displaced communities, government officials, the humanitarian and diplomatic community, and national humanitarian organizations, including women-led aid groups.

The USG/ERC carried out several field visits in Port Sudan, Kassala and Ag Geneina in West Darfur. In Port Sudan, he visited gathering sites where he met with people displaced by the conflict. He also visited the Abu Hashish Youth Center, a refuge for separated women and children. In Kassala, he met with state authorities and visited gathering sites where people displaced by the recent conflict in Aj Jazirah had taken refuge. There he saw some of the humanitarian services provided to the displaced families and was able to hear their stories. He also visited Al Maygoma Children’s Center, where orphaned children were being hosted. The orphans had been relocated due to the fighting several times first from Khartoum to Wad Medani in Aj Jazirah State and then from Wad Medani to Kassala. In Ag Geneina, capital of West Darfur State, the displaced communities told the ERC about their main needs - food, medicine, shelter, jobs, protection, but foremost, peace.

The ERC has called on the diplomatic and donor community for more engagement in support of the protection of civilians, humanitarian access and steps towards peace; and for renewed commitments on flexible funding, including funding directly to local and women-led organizations.

During his meetings with high-level government officials – including General Abdul Fatah Al-Burhan, the Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council – the ERC discussed ways to address constraints to the delivery of assistance; the need to increase the presence of humanitarian personnel in areas worst affected by the crisis to scale up the response; and how to improve the delivery of aid across borders and conflict lines.

On 25 November, General Al-Burhan announced on his “X account” that UN agencies can now establish humanitarian hubs in El Obeid, Kadugli, and Ed Damazine and that UN personnel would be authorized to accompany convoys and oversee aid distributions.

Launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence in Port Sudan

While in Port Sudan, the ERC and the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) Clementine Nkweta-Salami participated in the event marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the annual “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign. This year Sudan’s national theme for the campaign is “You Are Not Alone”, which underscores solidarity with survivors and reinforces that no woman or girl facing gender-based violence (GBV) is left unsupported. Since the conflict began in April 2023, the number of people at risk of GBV has tripled, reaching more than 12 million women, girls, men, and boys. In a statement, the RC/HC called on the humanitarian community, including Sudanese civil society organizations, to prioritize holistic, survivor-centred services and robust prevention strategies for GBV.