Multi-sectoral Response in Kassala State Plan international and its local partner Child Development Foundation (CDF) (with 32% budget) propose to implement this project in Kassala. Both organisations have a combined total operational presence of 32 years in Kassala,. The interventions are planned for Hamashkorieb, Shamal Ad Delta, Wad Elhilaiw, and Khashm Elgirba localities, of which according to the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) (2021) the first two are ranked as priority 1 areas, and the next two as priority 2 and 3 areas respectively. This project intends to reach 41,700 girls, boys, women, men and people with disabilities to address priority issues such as malnutrition, treatable communicable childhood illnesses, displacement and injury/ loss of assets, violence against children, gender-based violence (GBV), and lack of adequate clean water and hygiene. These are caused by several root issues discussed below, and lead to negative consequences such as psychological problems, morbidity or death, human rights abuses, and can be compounded by lack of basic public services to meet their needs.  Plan conducted rapid needs assessments in these localities by holding group discussions or key informant interviews with beneficiary community members, other actors, and the Ministry of Health amp Social Development (MoHSD). As part of the intervention design, Plan International also referred to issues highlighted in the Sudan Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (March 2021), Nutrition Surveillance Bulletin (2020), Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO), Sudan (2021), the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) Standard Allocation paper (2021), Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) (2021).

Based on assessments, Kassala is ranked among the top 8 States with high numbers of people with humanitarian needs in Sudan. Approximately 670,000 people are in need in Kassala State, with 200,000 severely in need, 410,000 extremely in need, and 60,000 with catastrophic severity levels. The majority of these are women at 57% and children below 18 years old representing 55% of the population. Child protection concerns are prevalent in all the four localities, and manifest as child neglect, mental abuse, amp child separation/ disappearances. GBV and harmful gender/ social norms are also high, with: cases of rape, early marriage (50% for boys, 70% for girls%), FGM (65%), amp sexual violence (20%). Nutrition status continues to be low, with Kassala being the 4th highest State with new Stabilization Centers (SC) Admissions, and the third highest Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) admissions by end of 2020.  It is has highest number of underweight of (11,700 or 17.9%), and the highest number of stunting cases (5,333 or 28%) and 4.3% wasting-MUAC) (Nutrition Surveillance Bulletin-2020 S3M report). In terms of the situation of health, issues are many, including home birth deliveries amp complications, maternal deaths, and high prevalence of communicable diseases (e.g. 200 cases of measles, HNO 2021).  Water contamination and poor hygiene practices continue to affect health and nutrition status of children and their communities.

In response, this project will apply Plan International’s critical pathways for change by holistically implementing a systems-strengthening approach, and gender and age-responsive, inclusive services at community level. In addition, it will help communities contribute to comprehensive care amp services, strengthen household resilience to shocks and stressors, and targets children, adolescents and youth with knowledge, attitudes, life-skills to enhance self-protective capacity, resilience to reduce protection risks, and to participate in responding to risk of conflict and disaster. Activities proposed align with the Allocation Paper priority of life-saving core humanitarian activities, highest humanitarian needs, recent emergencies, underfunded priorities for women/girls, amp disabled people, and ensure accountability to affected people.