Executive Summary
A New Crisis
In 2014, a total of 6.9 million people (about 20 per cent of Sudan’s population) were in need of humanitarian assistance according to the 2014 Strategic Response Plan (SRP). Key priority needs in the $985 million SRP were: 1) Life-saving assistance; 2) Protection for at-risk people; 3) Strengthened resilience of households and communities; and) Long-term solutions for the 3.6 million people who are either internally displaced or refugees in Sudan.
Key drivers of the crisis
Internal displacement: By the end of 2014, there were 3.1 million people in protracted displacement including a new displacement of an estimated 400,000 people in Darfur, the highest number of displaced people in any single year since the conflict began in Darfur in 2003.
Food Insecurity and malnutrition: In 2014, Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) levels for children under-five in parts of Sudan stood at 28.2 per cent (state level) and as high as 42 per cent (locality level), which far exceeded the internationally accepted “critical” emergency threshold of 15 per cent. 1.4 million people had also been facing food insecurity in the country.
Refugee arrival: Since conflict erupted in South Sudan in December 2013, over 120,000 people have sought protection in Sudan; mostly in White Nile, Khartoum and South Kordofan states.
Slight Increase in Donor Support
In 2014 Sudan CHF received contributions from seven donors amounting to $57.5 million. The contributions represented a five per cent increase compared with the 2013 funding level, and accounted for 11 per cent of Sudan SRP funding. Globally, Sudan CHF was the third largest CHF in 2014 and accounted for 14 per cent of donor contributions to 6 CHFs globally.
More than 28 per cent ($16.4 million) of donor contributions was received before the start of the year, while the remaining 72 per cent ($41.2 million) was contributed during the year.
Targeted allocations
Funding was channelled through 11 sectors to 183 projects.
More than 85 per cent of funds was allocated to projects responding to strategic objectives 1 (saving lives) and 2 (protection) of the 2014 SRP and which fell within the geographical boundaries set out in the 2014 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO). The CHF targeted 71 per cent of its funding towards the Darfur region, which accounts for 56 per cent of targeted population in the 2014 SRP. The reserve window was used to respond to rapid onset crises including the Ebola threat, the very high displacement in Darfur and to addressing needs in the Jabel Marra area where access was granted for the first time after three years of restriction.
The CHF Added Value
CHF played an important role in jump-starting operations in the first half of the year, when funding was low and aid agencies were struggling to finance their activities. Although CHF only contributed 11 per cent towards SRP funding in 2014, it was a major source of funding, representing between 20-64 per cent of funding for ES/NFIs, Protection, Recovery, Returns and Reintegration, Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Education sectors. CHF has also provided value beyond its financial worth and has strengthened the role of the HC and the sectors in targeting the most critical needs by implementing sector-led inclusive and transparent allocation process.
Accountability and Risk Management
In 2014, the Sudan CHF Accountability Framework including a risk management framework and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) Framework was developed, with full roll-out planned for 2015. The CHF Monitoring and Reporting (M&R) teams monitored 93 per cent of 2014 first round standard allocation projects, which spanned ten sectors and eleven states. CHF also put measures in place to manage and mitigate the risk of fraud. This included anti-fraud policy requirement for partners, audits and financial spot checks of NGOs.