Thousands of refugees in South Darfur to benefit from European Union humanitarian aid funding
South Darfur, 06 February 2020. World Vision, an international aid agency in Sudan, received €3.2 million (SDG 160.4 million) in European Union (EU) support to address the growing humanitarian needs in parts of South Darfur state.
This funding will boost World Vision’s efforts to address some of the immediate needs in areas experiencing new and protracted displacements, where basic service delivery capacities are limited. One of these areas the is Um Dafoug locality, bordering the Central African Republic, that has experienced a significant influx of refugees over the past few months.
“There are significant new humanitarian needs that have resulted from the new displacements, placing an additional burden on the existing services to local communities,” said Wim Fransen, Head of the EU’s Humanitarian Aid office in Khartoum. “The EU is providing funding to support urgent, life-saving projects in these affected areas of Sudan.”
Recent assessments conducted in the affected localities, including Um Dafoug, showed that there were critical gaps in healthcare services provision, water infrastructure and basic sanitation facilities as well as hygiene services. These gaps need to be filled in order to help save lives and contribute to the immediate well-being of the most vulnerable people.
Through this EU support, World Vision will continue its project in the sectors of health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, protection services and food assistance in a number of localities, in addition to Um Dafoug, where humanitarian needs remain dire.
Interventions will include supporting 15 health facilities with staff, stocking the clinics with essential medicines, supplies and equipment as well as rehabilitating sections of the clinics. Clean water will also be supplied to the clinics and sanitation facilities installed.
“On behalf of the children and communities that will benefit from this funding, as well as our staff and partners, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to the EU for its continued support,” says Vince Edwards, World Vision's Country Programme Director in Sudan.
"This funding will go a long way towards easing the pressure on the currently strained resources, particularly for the communities [that are] suddenly receiving an influx of refugees as well as returnees,” he added.
At least 110,000 people from 10 localities, including 11,000 refugees from the Central African Republic, will be benefitting from this project that is implemented in cooperation with the Commission for Refugees (COR), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and national NGOs.
To date, World Vision teams have implemented three EU-funded grants in South Darfur state since 2016. These projects reached more than 242,000 people in need.
About World Vision
World Vision (WV) has been operating in Sudan and South Darfur state since 2004, implementing relief and recovery programmes targeting conflict-affected people. Interventions focus on improving access to basic healthcare services, WASH services, providing nutrition care, improving access to education as well as strengthening livelihood and resilience for communities. World Vision is also the World Food Programme’s largest partner, providing food and cash-based assistance.
About the European Union
The European Union and its Member States are the world’s leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.
Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian aid Operations department (ECHO), the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.
For more information please contact:
Mathias Eick, Regional Information Officer, EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid in Nairobi. Mathias.Eick@echofield.eu, Mobile: +254 722 791 604
Lucy Murunga, Communications Manager, World Vision Sudan: Lucy_Murunga@wvi.org, Mobile: +254 721 484 112