Sudan
Context
For more than three decades, North Darfur State, in Sudan has been facing a prolonged crisis that is punctuated by social disturbances and general insecurity, overlapping with ethnic and inter-community conflicts as well as disputes over resources. This prolonged volatile context has led to a situation where internal displacement of families and destructions of homes account for people living in IDP camps for ever-lasting periods. Never the less many other factors are contributing to worsen the suffering and enrich the vulnerability of IDPs and host communities such as seasonal pandemics, rain shortage and seasonal rain floods occurring almost annually and forcing residents to displace as it destroys crops, expose them to water borne diseases, and severely reduce their food security.
Enhanced Community Resilience
Through B-READY, Plan International UK together with Plan Sudan in agreement with UK Global Parametrics, different Government Ministries, the State Metrology Department, the Humanitarian Aid Commissioner, IDPs community leaders (Omdas) and the locality Senior (Omda), targeted 96,000 residents Tawilla IDP camp, North Darfur. IDPs are particularly vulnerable as their houses are often of poorer construction and drainage systems are of lesser quality. Additionally, some camps are constructed in low ground making the whole camp more likely to be severely affected in the event of flooding.
B-READY firstly allowed satellite data analytics on climate and weathers forecasts for flood early warning systems to be incorporated into existing local preparedness plans. While those data were available to the community, the durable change happened at the local level through community trainings, preparedness on early actions, and pre-positioned cash transfers so to minimize the effect of flooding events. Loadable “Up To You” Cards” used by the population were linked to a mobile app used by service providers and designed to work offline, which is essential as internet service is often non-existent in these areas. Trainings on preparedness, financial and digital literacy are linking the digital components of the project to the ownership of early actions by communities and local authorities. In order to enhance multi-stakeholders’ partnerships and to contribute to market development, service providers were also trained on the use of the system.
Co-creation of preparedness plans added to financial and safeguarding trainings and pre-emptive cash transfers have enhanced the trust of those assisted to use digital platform, emphasized the importance of monitoring of natural and other hazards among the partners’ communities and initiated a solid and reliable data base stream in order to allow the work to be undertaken in advance with reliable community stakeholders. B-READY’s sustainability in North-Darfur has been recognized during the exit stage as it is based on a participatory learning approach and fully respected ownership considerations during the project cycle.
Programme Partners
Plan International UK together with Plan Sudan in agreement with UK Global Parametrics, and presumptive Government Partner including the Ministries of welfare and social development, Agriculture and animal resources, the Sate Metrology Department, the Humanitarian Aid Commissioner and Twzilla Locality.