GBV and Child Protection Reserve for Emergency response to Sortony's conflict Following the official withdrawal of UNAMID (The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur) on 8 April 2021, tensions returned between Government forces against Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) reportedly over the control of the UNAMID base in Sortony. In particular, on 15 July, armed clashes erupted in Sortony between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by Sadiq Al Fuka, former SLA/AW adherent and now a signatory with the Government of Sudan (GoS). SAF led by Al Sadiq Al Fuka took control of Sortony on 18 July. However, attacks and fighting continued, including shooting on 25 July in Sortony gathering site and an ambush on his forces on 26 July. Heavy clashes have also occurred between rival SLA/AW rival commanders in North and Central Darfur.
Fighting, including through the use of heavy artillery, has led to reports of several civilian casualties, mostly of elderly and disabled persons and small children, as well as injuries and burning of villages. As a result, IDPs fled the area, including the surrounding mountains and other communities, including in Central Darfur. The control of the area by SAF/Al Fuka has been associated with severe protection concerns, including SGBV, abductions, arbitrary detainment, and forced recruitment. Furthermore, there has been widespread looting and destruction of service facilities, including health clinics, schools, and humanitarian agency offices and warehouses. Access to Kobe, the main water point was also blocked for some time. Due to the lack of humanitarian access caused by the insecurity, and de-registration of key National NGOs (NNGOs), minimal humanitarian assistance has been provided since the armed clashes began, and the needs are tremendously increasing.
This project aims to meet the most critical protection needs of the conflict-affected population in and around Sortony. Through direct experience of violence, loss, displacement, and the disruption of social structures, many people are in mental distress. Furthermore, the economic components of loss of livelihoods, assets, and property, exacerbated by the limited humanitarian provision, can contribute to adopting negative coping strategies, placing vulnerable individuals at heightened risk of harm and exploitation.
Save the Children (SC) will establish safe spaces for children’s play and recreation and to receive psychosocial support, Psychological First Aid, and resilience session for girls and boys. SC will rehabilitate an existing Women’s Center to provide lifesaving, age-appropriate GBV case management and PSS services to women and girls. Family tracing and reunification (FTR) and case management services for unaccompanied and separated children (UASCs) and other at-risk children, as well as direct support for GBV survivors, will be provided by personnel trained on specialized case management, including caring for child survivors of SGBV (CCS), FTR and alternative care for UASC, and PSS provision. Furthermore, SC will distribute emergency NFI support, including dignity kits, to women and adolescent girls.
SC will conduct safety audits and community discussions to identify risks faced by the community, particularly by vulnerable/marginalized groups within the society, and develop strategies to address these in collaboration with local communities and humanitarian actors. SC will work to mainstream protection through all interventions by humanitarian actors working across different sectors. Through support to community-based protection networks, awareness on key protection risks (including those affecting both children and women) and mitigation measures will be increased across the community, and the role of service providers in identifying, mitigating, and reporting protection risks and cases will be strengthened.