‘A multi-sector approach to sustainable return in North Darfur’: UN

The UN and partners have launched a multi-sector, multi-annual, area-based pilot programme to support the sustainable return of more than 30,000 men, women and children in Um Baru locality, North Darfur, who originally left the area as a result of conflict and food insecurity in Darfur.

According to the weekly Humanitarian Bulletin released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) yesterday, the goal of this pilot programme – to be carried out by eight NGOs and coordinated by the Recovery, Return & Reintegration (RRR) Sector – is to ensure that these people, who were either internally displaced in Darfur or fled to Chad, are assisted to re-establish their lives in their place of origin.

Based on an early recovery approach, this $800,000 project, funded by the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, will provide access to basic services in health, water and sanitation, education and nutrition, which will be strengthened with livelihoods projects, protection and social services, enabling communities to better resist the impact of shocks and crises.

The Um Baru pilot emphasises the importance of the humanitarian development nexus in a protracted crisis, which was a key issue at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016. The focus of this pilot is to analyse coping mechanisms, risks, and vulnerabilities and to strengthen local capacity. Ultimately, the project aims to ensure voluntary, dignified and safe return.