Funding constraints end aid operations in Darfur and Kordofan

Relief organisations working in Sudan have reported that a continuing decrease in humanitarian funding has taken its toll on aid partners throughout the country, forcing some to pull out of operations.

The organisations currently provide critical services for thousands of vulnerable displaced people and children, according to the latest news bulletin by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

West Darfur health centre plans to close

The international NGO Human Relief Foundation UK (HRF UK) in West Darfur will be forced to hand over four health care centres to the Sudanese Ministry of Health at the end of June 2015 when their current funding runs out.

This year, the organisation was unable to raise sufficient funds, 'due to competing international and in-country emergencies'. The State Ministry of Health does not have the capacity to run the clinics, OCHA writes, so the health centres will likely shut down at the end of June if emergency funds cannot be mobilised.

Two of the clinics are located in Ryad camp, one in Terbiba village for voluntary returnees, and one in the area of El Geneina. The closures may create a critical gap in the provision of primary health services and antenatal care to more than 30,000 displaced people.

Projects in South Kordofan phased out

The Sudanese NGOs El Manar and Sibro will phase out their nutrition operations in South Kordofan’s Dilling and El Goz localities respectively, also owing to a lack of funding. As a result, two nutrition centres have already been handed over to the Sudanese Health Ministry and three more will be handed over at the end of July.

The Sudan 2015 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) was officially launched at a press conference on 5 May 2015. Developed by the UN and partners, in consultation with the Sudanese government, the HRP calls for just over $1 billion to target the 5.4 million people with the highest prioritised humanitarian needs across the country.