Latest Report From our Team in Southern Sudan
Monday, 19 December 2005
Read the latest progress report from our team in South Sudan
Sudan lies in northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea.
In southern Sudan inter ethnic hostilities have resulted in major population displacements. There have been hostilities in Yirol in the south where Concern has been working since 1998.
As a result of increasing malnutrition among children under five, Concern runs an emergency food programme in Aweil North and West counties.
Concern continues its programme in this area in helping people to become more self-reliant. Concern distributes seeds and basic agricultural implements to vulnerable households. It is assisting in the establishment of seed banks and promoting a policy of crop diversification.
Concern is helping farmers in their traditional agro-forestry, and water harvesting techniques in the extremely remote Nuba Mountains while ensuring to protect the eco system.Concern is also involved in education programmes.
Update
The overall food security situation has improved considerably as a result of the harvest, improved fish availability in the Aweils and continued food drops by WFP. Movement and trade activities continued uninterrupted in all program areas.
Under Capacity Building, the major event in November was a 2 days INGO Coordination meeting on Capacity Building of Sudanese LNGOs, for which Concern was the main organiser. The meeting was very successful with 47 people from 37 different organisations participating.
Aweil Food Security
Harvesting of grains and simsim is complete. With the onset of the dry season, fishermen have moved to the more permanent rivers as water levels continue to drop in the Lol and Chel rivers. Market prices remained stable throughout the reporting period.
Good progress was reported under seed recovery activities. A number of vegetable growing groups have begun transplanting onions, tomatoes and kale for dry season cultivation.
Construction of dykes was completed at 28 sites. In total over 3.4 km of dykes were constructed on a food-for-work basis work generating work for 80 women and 721 men. Animal traction training was begun in one centre with 8 bulls, 1 donkey and 11 farmers undergoing training.
Nuba
In line with the promotion of diversified livelihoods activities, 57 members of women’s groups in Iral payam were trained on bread and biscuit making during the period. Women’s vegetable groups have been selling surplus vegetables, notably tomato and eggplant, in locals markets while some groups in Kawalib have been drying vegetable for later consumption.
Two trainings on group dynamics and business management skills were conducted for 171 petty traders in Iral payam while a further 32 traders were provided similar training in Kawalib payam. Follow-up support visits were made to beekeeping, carpentry and blacksmiths groups with beekeepers reporting harvests from 8 of the 20 hives colonised.
Both newly constructed masonry check dams in Kollo watershed are holding water and farmers have began preparing the adjacent land for vegetable cultivation. Work is in progress in the 3 other watersheds.
The second round distribution of Non-food items was completed in Kawalib and Iral payams and is in progress in Kumbur and Ildo. The remaining 800 dry season Non-food item kits were received from Khartoum and agreements with SRRC and local authorities have been finalised for distribution of the same in December.
Yirol Water and sanitation
As areas become accessible with the onset of the dry season, 3 boreholes drilled at the onset of the rains were fitted with hand pumps and are fully operational. Rehabilitation of hand dug wells resumed with the one in Makuei completed.
Hygiene and sanitation training continued to be carried out in Ador and Bunagok payams at community level and in primary schools while 5 water source committees were trained on their roles and responsibilities, including pump maintenance and repair and hygiene promotion. In this context a pump caretaker for each committee was trained on basic servicing and provided the necessary tools.
Yirol HIV/AIDS
2,017 people were reached with HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention messages through visits to schools, health centres and churches while over 100 condoms were distributed. A KAP survey was carried out in greater Yirol during the period; analysis of the same is on-going.
