A brief introduction of context
On April 15, 2024, fighting broke out in Sudan's capital city of Khartoum between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, and the Sudanese armed forces loyal to Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the nation's de facto ruler. The conflict stems from a power struggle between the two generals and dates back to the years preceding the 2019 uprising that led to the removal of Omar al-Bashir, the previous president. Many regions of the country where the violence is occurring or is predicted to occur have already experienced major population relocation as a result of the war. As of March 31, 2024, there had reportedly been 634,254 crossings into South Sudan, comprising 496,192 refugee returnees, 133706 Sudanese refugees, and 4356 non-Sudanese refugees.
More than 24,000 refugees are stuck in Renk County in the refugee camps, Upper Nile State, and are facing acute humanitarian needs; they typically lack the funds to subsist or to move further, leaving them dependent on humanitarian aid. They lack food, water, and necessities for survival including soap, water Jerricans, and, for women and girls, sanitary pads and other products to help with menstruation. The population's living standards have plummeted, and those who manage to survive rely on drastic measures like selling off home possessions, which will result in immediate financial difficulties. Majority of the refugees and returnees are currently residing in church compounds, abandoned buildings, and schools. Some people sleep outside, beneath trees, without blankets, sleeping mats, or mosquito nets. Due to living in close quarters with strangers, refugees and returnee’s women, girls, and children who are sleeping under trees, in open places, or in crammed rooms run the risk of being victims of gender-based violence and other safety hazards. In order to meet pressing and immediate food and non-food needs of the refugees and returnees, NILECAPD a grant of USD 10,000 that has used to provide the assistance to 135 returnees and 165 refugees among them 167 women. The assistance was provided between 2nd and 3rd March 2024 in Renk, Upper Nile State, South Sudan.
How assistance was organized
Prior to commencing project activities, NILECAPD formed community based Accountable to Affected Persons Committee comprising of 3 NILECAPD staff, 4 Returnees and Refugees Representatives and 2 Community Leaders.
Of the 9 committee members, 4 were women and 1 person representing people living with disability. Also, NILECAPD engaged a wide range of people prior to the intervention, including the marginalized, those without connections to the community, women- and child-headed households, people living with disabilities, seriously ill individuals, elderly men and women, local authorities, community leaders, and chiefs. This allowed us to accurately identify their needs, promptly report issues, and respectfully and dignifiedly gather their opinions, suggestions, and preferences while keeping in mind the choices, rights, and freedoms of the beneficiaries. A robust, dependable, and efficient Community Feedback and Complaint Mechanism was built by NILECAPD and was implemented as follows:
(a) During registration and distribution, a complaints desk was established, and beneficiaries were given a toll-free phone number to file complaints with senior NILECAPD project staff.
(b) Beneficiaries were given access to the contact details of the Accountability to Affected Population Committee, enabling them to bring up any issues they had with their community representatives directly.
Five hundred (500) beneficiaries were registered, with most of the registrations being completed door to door. Additionally, NILECAPD broadcast announcements in settlement areas using loudspeakers and megaphones. Public announcements, assistance desks, focus groups, and gatherings of community leaders and beneficiaries were used to disseminate information about the distribution activity. Throughout every stage of the intervention, NILECAPD solicited feedback from vulnerable host communities, returnees and refugees.
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