2024 Severity of Needs, People in Need and Targeted
SUMMARY OF NEEDS
WASH coverage in Sudan was insufficient even before the crisis. The latest bout of hostilities has led to the destruction of WASH infrastructure, disruptions in the WASH supply chain, and collapse of the revenue system to the extent that employees of water and sanitation facilities have not been paid since the crisis began. Without government subsidies, critical supply shortages, inflation, and decreasing community incomes, the population increasingly resorts to unsafe water and sanitation practices and adopts unhygienic behaviours.
The increasing concentration of newly displaced populations strains the already scarce WASH resources. Due to limited financial means and capacity, neither communities nor the government can sustain existing WASH services or establish new ones to address the growing needs. The ongoing outbreak of cholera has claimed 131 lives, with 4,114 confirmed cases and a case fatality rate of 3.2, while at the same time the spread of Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF) continues with more than 5,000 reported cases and 25 fatalities. These are further evidence of the deteriorating WASH conditions in Sudan.
RESPONSE STRATEGY
To maintain current WASH services, it is essential to support the operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and improvement of WASH infrastructure. Additionally, support is required for water trucking, establishment of new facilities including sanitation, and provision of hygiene and WASH supplies. Supplies need to be replenished in partial and hard-to-reach areas. This includes water treatment chemicals for larger water stations, particularly in urban centres like Khartoum and state capitals in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
Support is needed to sustain innovative approaches, such as solar power for water sources, especially in areas where fuel availability is challenging. Integration within and with other clusters like Shelter and NFIs, Health, Nutrition, Protection, and Education is encouraged. Other priorities include emergency preparedness, prepositioning of supplies, environmental sanitation, and public health support, strengthening the core supply pipeline, enhancing technical and management capabilities for sustained service delivery, promoting collaboration, and ensuring coordination. Additionally, capacity-building efforts should target communities, local institutions, entrepreneurs, and sector capacity, while focusing on the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus. The use of cash will be explored to deliver WASH assistance where appropriate.
TARGETING & PRIORITIZATION
WASH interventions seek to assist 8.9 million people, including IDPs living in east, central and northern states and in urban setups where the destruction of infrastructure severely compromises the previously high WASH coverage. The target includes 10-15 percent of the national estimate of people with disabilities. Sixty percent of the targeted population is children, and 10-15 percent is older people.
WASH partners prioritise addressing the critical needs of IDPs, host communities, and residents living in partially accessible and hard-to-reach areas with limited access to safe WASH services. These regions encounter difficulties such as reliance on surface water (severity 5), utilization of unsafe water sources (severity 4), rampant open defecation (severity 5), subpar sanitation (severity 4), and poor access to handwashing with soap and water (severity 4 and 5). Furthermore, vulnerable groups will be prioritized in areas prone to cholera and acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) outbreaks and flooding, along with individuals facing multiple vulnerabilities, particularly malnutrition.
PROMOTING QUALITY & INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING
WASH partners are committed to upholding the minimum commitments, such as consulting or engaging with affected people (particularly women and girls) in programme assessment, design, implementation and monitoring. Feedback and complaint mechanisms will be strengthened, while post-distribution monitoring and empowerment of communities to manage local WASH facilities will be emphasized. In hard-to-reach and partially inaccessible areas, remote consultation will be promoted to the extent possible. The response will involve local authorities and promote the engagement of community-based organisations. PSEA training will be integrated and prioritize gender-segregated facilities and the safety of women and girls. Interventions will address the needs of older people and those with disabilities, and adopt a conflict-sensitive, peacebuilding, and climate-conscious approach.
COST OF RESPONSE
An estimated $230 million is required for the response, including for the maintenance of common core pipelines of supplies. The significant shift in operating costs can primarily be attributed to increased expenses for transportation, supply management, and fuel, and the operation of water stations and public water facilities, especially in urban areas.
References
- Ministry of Health and WHO, “Sudan Outbreaks Dashboard”, accessed on 26 November 2023.