SUDAN

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Water, hygiene and sanitation

FUNDING

• Funding: ECHO (Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission) - CHF (United Nations Common Humanitarian Fund)
• Partners: HAC (Humanitarian Aid Commission, Sudan) – Ministry of environment (WES Sudan) – UNICEF - UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) - Al Fajir (Sudanese NGO)
• Number of beneficiaries: 126, 687, including 20, 415 vulnerable people (physical handicap, mental disability, extreme poverty, isolation) – 158 local staff

Drinking water supply, access to sanitation facilities (latrines, water points), waste collection and processing and hygiene promotion are crucial in controlling the main vectors of health risks. A sudden stop of the mechanisms currently in place would lead to a rapid deterioration in the overall health situation in the region. A transitional phase towards a greater involvement of local populations and authorities is needed, as well as the monitoring of population movements and the distribution of non-food emergency aid.

Access to drinking water and involvement of concerned partners:

• Construction of new water points (water towers, hand pumps) in order to provide beneficiaries with access to sufficient water supplies;
• Maintenance/rehabilitation of the installations;
• Regular tests on water quality (microbiological and chemical testing) and sharing of results with health services and other institutional actors involved;
• Regular and continuous interventions with local institutional actors to add to their responsibilities and increase their participation in water management;
• Follow-up and continuous training of local committees in charge of the management of water points in order to ensure the sustainability of infrastructures built.

Limitation of major health risks in densely populated areas:

• Construction/rehabilitation/maintenance of latrines with the help of beneficiaries;
• Needs assessment through ad-hoc surveys and the ongoing monitoring of the situation with regard to access to sanitation;
• Testing of a new model of more sustainable latrines;
• Gradual hand-over of waste collection activities to local actors.

Improvement of the population’s knowledge on good hygiene practices

• Awareness campaigns about good health practices (cleaning of canisters, waste collection, etc.);
• Organization of social events on issues related to health and hygiene;
• Facilitating the creation and organization of hygiene clubs in schools;
• Trainers training in order to facilitate the transmission of messages within the community;
• Assessment surveys on the impact of hygiene promoting activities.

Coordination of the development of the humanitarian situation with actors involved and distribution of bare necessities to the most vulnerable populations and to newcomers:

• Monitoring of population movements in intervention areas, regular reporting to relevant agencies;
• Conducting studies to address rapidly the essential needs of newcomers;
• Distribution of non-food aid (blankets, plastic mats, kitchen sets, clothing, etc.) to newcomers, to the most vulnerable populations, or even to the entire population in case of emergency situation (fire, flood, etc.);
• Maintenance of an emergency stock (non-food items, materials and equipment needed for the construction of water points and latrines) to be able to meet the basic needs of newcomers.