Sudan

Summary of Needs

Extensive use of explosive weapons has been reported since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, which has caused more than 20,000 reported fatalities and thousands of injuries and left the country with a new and extensive layer of Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination. This is in addition to 34 sq km of legacy EO contamination that remainedfrom previous conflicts over the past decades. These hazards are spread across wide areas of the country, including urban centres, such as Khartoum, and in rural areas. Civilians face the immediate risk of injury and death caused by these hazards, with exact figures unknown due to reporting limitations, but with expectations of large increases in accidents as the conflict continues and as displaced populations move across or return to conflict-affected areas. Beyond this immediate risk, EOs are found along roads, airstrips, schools, medical facilities, and other critical infrastructure. Their presence prevents civilians from having safe access to these services and affects the ability of humanitarian workers to deliver aid in conflict-affected areas safely, exacerbating vulnerabilities. Given the widespread nature of the explosive hazard threat and its wide-reaching impacts, more than 13 million civilians nationwide need mine action support in Sudan.

Response Strategy

MA-AoR will reinforce the sub-cluster’s capacities to provide comprehensive mine action interventions to EO-affected communities and displaced populations at risk, focusing on the following key areas:

1. Deliver lifesaving, age- and gender-tailored Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) to vulnerable populations, including IDPs, at risk of explosive hazards.
2. Survey and clear explosive hazards in areas affected by the conflict to enable safe population movements, safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and support future recovery efforts.
3. Support the effective coordination of the sector, including through advocacy, data collection, information management, and provision of technical advice for humanitarians, in support of a principled, prioritized approach to humanitarian mine action operations.​​
4. Support national and sub-national stakeholders to facilitate the implementation of mine action operations within Sudan.
5. Provide victim assistance support to survivors of explosive hazard incidents.

The MA-AoR response will prioritize raising awareness about EO risks and promoting safe behaviour among over 350,000 at-risk people, including IDPs, host communities, and social workers, through direct sessions, messages that will be amplified through indirect risk education methods, including community volunteers, use of radio, TV, social media and integration of messaging throughout the broader response, to reach millions more with these core safety messages. Additionally, more than 2.6 million people, including residents, IDPs, and returnees, will gain safer access to services, housing, and infrastructures through surveys and clearance of explosive hazards.

The response will also include technical analysis and advice to humanitarian operators regarding explosive hazard threats in their operational areas. Furthermore, at least 700 survivors of explosive hazards will receive comprehensive support, including medical care, psychological support, rehabilitation services, socio-economic reintegration, service mapping, and assessment of referral pathways.

Targeting and Prioritization

Despite the widespread impact of EO, which has affected 188 localities across the country, mine action efforts will prioritize areas newly affected by EO due to the ongoing conflict, especially urban areas with high civilian populations and those experiencing heightened movement among IDPs and returnees. Awareness campaigns will target people living in localities impacted by conflict as well as IDPs who have fled conflict areas. Explosive hazard survey and clearance efforts will focus on roads, medical facilities, schools, humanitarian facilities, and other critical infrastructure. The gendered impact of the conflict and EO will be considered when community needs are assessed, including by collecting sex and age-disaggregated data to ensure women’s representation and participation in defining specific targets and priorities. Through gendered analysis of the local context, the response approach will be adapted to address gendered mine action needs, and women’s empowerment will be integrated into specific interventions.

Cost of Response

The total cost of the mine action response is $23.5 million, covering EORE, survey, and clearance of EO while enhancing the quality of delivery, coordination efforts, and victim assistance support.