HIGHLIGHTS
Sudan signed an Action Plan with the UN committing to prevent the recruitment and use of children by government security forces in Sudan. It was the last remaining Government whose forces were listed in the SG’s Report on Children and Armed Conflict and had not yet entered into such an agreement.
All 234 unaccompanied and separated children identified amongst the newly displaced from Jebel Marra in Tawilla, North Darfur, have been successfully reunified with their immediate families.
8,854 grade eight children (46% girls), mostly displaced due to the Jebel Marra conflict; took eight grade examinations with support from UNICEF response. In Sudan these exams are a prerequisite for the transition to secondary education.
An overall GAM rate of 34% for children under five has been assessed following UNICEF supported screening for refugee arrivals in Meiram, West Kordofan. Over 48,000 South Sudanese refugees (33,600 children) have sought refuge in East and South Darfur as well as West Kordofan since January 2016. Large numbers are arriving to Khor Omer IDP camp in East Darfur and Meiram in West Kordofan, reportedly fleeing from South Sudan due to crop failure, rising food prices and conflict.
91% of the UNICEF Sudan humanitarian appeal remains unfunded. Not funding at has so far been received for coordination support in 2016.
Humanitarian Needs
The conflict in Jabel Marra, which began in mid-January, has displaced over 129,000 people. Children and women constitute up to 90 per cent (116,100) of those displaced. Most have sought shelter in Tawilla, Sortoni and Kebkabiya. The newly displaced children have urgent humanitarian needs including for protection, nutrition, health, drinking water and sanitation (latrines). Reports that more than 55,000 people could be newly displaced in Central and South Darfur states are currently unverified due to challenges with humanitarian access as a result of the ongoing armed conflict. Over 48,000 South Sudanese refugees (33,600 children) have sought refuge in East and South Darfur as well as West Kordofan since January 2016. Large numbers are arriving to Khor Omer IDP camp in East Darfur and Meiram in West Kordofan, reportedly fleeing from South Sudan’s Northern and Eastern Bahr El Gazal states as well as Warrap State due to crop failure, rising food prices and conflict. In Meiram screening of refugee arrivals has found an overall GAM rate of 34.1% for children under five with SAM rates of 7.7% and MAM rates of 26.4%. In total 222,665 South Sudanese refugees have sought refuge in Sudan since the outbreak of conflict in South Sudan in December 2013, of which 155,866 are children. The refugees have primarily been arriving to East Darfur, South Darfur, West Kordofan, South Kordofan, White Nile and Khartoum states. In Abyei there have been several suspected measles cases reported during March and verification as to the origin of the cases is ongoing.