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Water, Peace and Security Partnership with Sudan

Even prior to the current armed struggle in Sudan, civil war and natural disasters in the region of Darfur have led to the displacement of more than two million people. Most people fled to South Darfur, which prior to April 2023 hosted 700,000 internally displaced people, 70,000 refugees, and 160,000 returnees, in addition to poor agricultural and nomadic communities. Due to poor infrastructure and the climate crisis, South Darfur faces acute water shortages (only 45% of the population has access to drinking water) and concomitant food safety issues. Drought and unsustainable agricultural practices deplete the soil of nutrients necessary for growing crops. Food prices have risen exponentially because of domestic issues, the war in Ukraine and the global economic crisis.

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© Hope and Friendship for development (HOPE)

Gender-based violence is an often-overlooked side effect. Sixty-five per cent of women are victims of domestic violence, while almost every girl is forced to undergo genital mutilation. A shortage of toilets, fetching of water from distant wells and looking for wood further expose women to increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence.      

The project, lead by Zavod Krog (Institute Circle), addresses these adverse effects through multiple actions: (1) by introducing sustainable agricultural practices and solar-powered pumping water stations, which bring water closer to communities (2) by installing solar-powered irrigation systems and (3) by establishing cooperatives and savings/loan schemes for communities.

 

In 2023, with the outbreak of armed conflicts in Sudan, things got really complicated. The reason why the project still continues, while many others have been put on hold, is a very strong local partnership.

Petra KezmanMinistry of Foreign and European Affairs (Slovenia)

Gender-based violence is addressed by training the community networks for protection against violence by (1) providing psychosocial, medical and legal support to victims of violence (2) by building communal toilets, which allow women privacy and (3) by extensive awareness-raising campaigns against gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation.                                                                                           

Contact person and email:

Katja Alabboud, katja@zavod-krog.si

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© Hope and Friendship for development (HOPE)

 

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© Hope and Friendship for development (HOPE)

 

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© Hope and Friendship for development (HOPE)

 

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Supported by Slovenia

Type: Practice, Dialogue/advocacy, Process

Relevant action areas: 3. Climate security risk-informed resilience and adaptation; 4. Climate security risk-informed peace; 5. Knowledge & experience sharing

Location of project:Sudan – four communities in South Darfur

Duration: 2021-ongoing

Partners: Hope and Friendship for Development (HOPE), Agriculture and Forestry Institute Nova Gorica, Radog Ltd., Geolab and Oliver Pavc IC

Key activities: ensuring equitable and sustainable access to potable drinking water for internally displaced people, refugees and host communities; ensuring access to basic sanitation facilities and promotion of appropriate hygiene practices; sustainable agricultural practices to increase agricultural production and improve food security; sexual and gender-based violence prevention and protection of victims; social cohesion activities among displaced, refugee and host populations; promotion of co-existence among youth and host communities through strengthening the conflict management capacities of Community Management Committees