Sudan OCHA bulletin 4: Agencies scale up health services in Darfur’s Jebel Marra

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan reports in its latest weekly bulletin that humanitarian organisations have started providing health services in Jebel Marra to meet the needs of both displaced and resident communities. Thousands of displaced children in Golo in Jebel Marra, Central Darfur, need education support. World Vision International–Sudan (WVI-Sudan) anticipates significant setbacks in delivering basic services to thousands of people in South Darfur because of funding challenges. 

The International Medical Corps (IMC) started primary health care and nutrition services in Boori village and aims to begin providing these essential services in Jokosty village in February. IMC and the Central Darfur Health Ministry have recently started running Golo hospital’s out-patient department.

IMC is also starting nutrition services in Katti and Kurifal villages in western Jebel Marra, after completing the ongoing training for key staff from these two health centres. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is supporting health and nutrition services in Abunga.

The hospital in Daya village in northern Jebel Marra has remained closed since the international NGO GOAL left the area in 2009, while the clinic in Killin has been closed since Tearfund left the area in 2015. Currently CRS has taken over running of the health centre in Rokoro. The health centre at Fanga Suk is currently being built, through a donation from the Arab League, and will be handed over to the Central Darfur Health Ministry, once complete.

CRS has also begun strengthening the referral system to El Fasher hospital (North Darfur) by rehabilitating and maintaining the ambulance services.

Thousands of displaced children in Golo need education support

Thousands of displaced children are out of school in Golo in Jebel Marra in Central Darfur, according to the Sudanese Sanad Charity Foundation (SCF). Many people fled the area in the first half of 2016 because of fierce fighting between government forces and rebel combatants.

SCF also reports that schools are in need of material support, teachers or support staff. Some schools in Golo have to work in two shifts to accommodate the educational needs. In addition, some children have to walk for up to 10km every day to reach their school.

As part of efforts to identify education needs in the area, the Central Darfur Ministry of Education and the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) carried out an assessment in Golo last October and estimated that 9,000 displaced children were out of school in Golo.

WVI facing funding challenges in South Darfur

World Vision International-Sudan (WVI-Sudan) anticipates significant setbacks in delivering critical services like health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to thousands of people in the Otash, Manawashi and Duma areas as well as Mershing and Kass localities in South Darfur owing to funding challenges.

In the meantime, WVI-Sudan is putting in place transitional arrangements to ensure that assistance to vulnerable children and communities -especially in the provision of primary health care services and clean water -continues for the next few months as the organisation seeks new funding.

According to a study by the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) on the closure of health facilities due to funding constraints, there are two health facilities at risk of closure in South Darfur, which could potentially impact about 20,400 people in the areas affected.