OCHA Situation Report No. 31
Sudan: Darfur
4 September 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Key overall developments

The North Darfur Inter-Agency Management Group (IAMG) requested the United 
Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) to research the humanitarian 
requirements for United Nations Humanitarian Air Services (UNHAS) 
helicopter air assets. The resulting survey - executed by UNJLC - provided 
the information based on which Helicopter Users Group (HUG) were able to 
discuss asset requirements, flight frequency and destination 
prioritization. UNHAS responded positively and added a fixed wing 
aircraft, which will be made available to El Fasher to augment air 
capacity. In total, 20 survey responses were received from United Nations 
agencies, NGOs and donors.

Needs and response by sector

Education

North Darfur

In coordination with the State Ministry of Education (SMoE), UNICEF 
released textbooks, recreation kits, and pupil kits to Um Kaddada basic 
schools benefiting 2,300 Grade 1-4 children. In addition, UNICEF also 
released student kits, textbooks, recreation kits, plastic sleeping mats 
and blackboards to Korma basic schools benefiting 3,000 children. In 
coordination with the SMoE and UNICEF, the NGO Plan Sudan supported the 
training of 50 basic education teachers - 29 of whom were female - on 
English language teaching methodology which will enhance student learning.

Using UNICEF funds, the SMoE - Girls Education section, completed the 
tailoring of 4,000 school uniforms.

West Darfur

National immunization days against polio started on the 25th August - with 
UNICEF support - and were conducted by the World Health Organization 
(WHO), Ministry of Heath (MoH) and all NGO partners on the ground in the 
state of West Darfur.

Health and Nutrition

North Darfur

National Immunization Days against polio were successfully completed in 
many areas of North Darfur, with implementation ongoing to ensure full 
coverage of the target population.

The WHO and UNICEF assisted the State Ministry of Health (SMoH) in 
supplying essential drugs, including oral rehydration salts and 
intravenous fluids (IV) fluids, as well as insecticides and spraying pumps 
to local authorities in Mellit.

South Darfur

UNICEF supported the first stages of a roll-out plan for community 
management of acute malnutrition - in partnership with the SMoH, Medicins 
Sans Frontiers-France (MSF-F), Cordaid and Action Contre La Faim (ACF) - 
that will assist in the eventual hand-over of outpatient treatment 
programmes to the SMoH.

West Darfur

WHO provided essential laboratory equipment, consumables and reagents to 
Forbaranga and El Geneina hospitals to reinforce the provision of 
healthcare through the local referral system.

Non-Food Items (NFIs)

As Sector Lead, the UNJLC continues to monitor flooding in Darfur and 
coordinate effective and timely flood-response. To date, response efforts 
are on-going in camps around Nyala, South Darfur, primarily in Kalma and 
Bilail IDP Camps. Needs assessments and distributions in Kalma IDP Camp 
had to be put on hold temporarily mid-month due to security restrictions, 
but have since resumed.

South Darfur

In Al Salam IDP Camp, Humedica distributed plastic sheeting, blankets, 
jerry cans, women's clothing and plastic sheeting to 851 households 
requiring replenishment and 406 newly-displaced households.

Plastic sheeting was provided by the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) 
in Dereg IDP Camp, to 891 disaster-affected households.

Additionally, Medicins Sans Frontiers-Holland (MSF-Holland) supported 30 
households considered extremely vulnerable in Kalma IDP Camp.

UNICEF released education supplies to the NGO Samaritan's Purse (SP), 
which included 272 tarpaulin plastic sheets for 16,420 pupils and other 
supplies including chairs, tables and visibility signs for schools.

West Darfur

This week the NFI Pipeline focused on the provision of plastic sheeting. 
Distributions were made by INTERSOS in the Wadi Salih locality in support 
of community projects in Garsila, Um Kheir and Forbaranga.

Protection and Human Rights

South Darfur

UNICEF - in collaboration with the national NGO Sudan Open Learning 
Organization (SOLO) - organized a training of trainers (ToT) for 25 
teachers who in turn will train a further 600 teachers in their localities 
in South Darfur. The five-day training also included specific training 
from UNICEF staff on Child Protection, Education and Water and Sanitation 
issues in addition to the regular content.

West Darfur

The UNICEF campaign - in collaboration with the North Sudan DDR Commission 
(NSDDRC) - for raising awareness around disarmament, demobilization and 
reintegration (DDR) - will last for one month. The campaign got underway 
with supporting and facilitating a two-day workshop organized by the 
Legislation Council - Family, Women, and child committee - and was 
attended by approximately 45 participants from key government authorities, 
key community members, and the signatory groups to the Darfur Peace 
Agreement (DPA). The workshop covered the concepts of child recruitment 
and awareness-raising amongst the various groups and forces and local 
communities of child recruitment issues.

UNICEF Child Protection organized a one-day training workshop on child 
recruitment and children associated with armed forces/groups. The training 
was attended by 16 participants from NGOs and agencies working on 
protection and child protection issues in West Darfur. Additionally, 
UNICEF Child Protection participated in the training for community leaders 
and women's groups in Ardamata IDP Camp and facilitated one session on 
child protection and child recruitment.

Water and Sanitation

North Darfur

According to the WHO, floods in Mellit have reportedly destroyed 3,650 
houses and washed away almost 300 latrines around the town and 80% of all 
wells have been contaminated by flood waters. However, the health 
situation is stable with no abnormal increase in water or sanitation 
related diseases and no damage to the health structures.

South Darfur

With UNICEF financial support, the State Water Corporation (SWC) is 
continuing the on-going operation and maintenance of 30 motorized water 
schemes in the IDP camps of South Darfur. Under the current security 
situation UNICEF and the State Water and Environmental Sanitation project 
(WES) are focussing upon IDPs taking a greater role in the responsibility 
for the operation and maintenance of water supplies within the camps. 
Additionally, UNICEF and the WES project produced safe chlorinated water 
and provided sanitation facilities in various IDP camps. The following was 
accomplished with regards to safe chlorinated water provision:

92,000 liters in Mossei IDP Camp;
3,828,000 liters in Otash IDP Camp;
6,200,000 liters in Al Salam IDP Camp;
1,900,000 liters in Kass IDP Camp;
3,710,000 liters in Gereida IDP Camp.


If you have inputs for the next edition or questions and comments on this 
one, or other media and public enquiries, please contact: Nahla Zarroug, 
Information Analyst, United Nations, Khartoum, Sudan, Email: 
zarroug@un.org, Telephone: +249-9-12160065

For other media and public enquiries, you may also contact:

Orla Clinton, Public Information Officer,
United Nations, Khartoum, Sudan, Email:
clinton@un.org, Telephone: +249-9-12174454

Imad Hassanein, Media Officer, United
Nations, Khartoum, Sudan, Email:
hassaneini@un.org, Telephone:
+249-9-12178035

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