Central Darfur Food Security Response Consortium ltpgtltbrgtSave the Children International (SCI), in partnership with Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) and Child Development Foundation (CDF), is launching a comprehensive response to address the severe food crisis in Zalingei and West Jebel Marra. Our integrated Nutrition, Health, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), and cash intervention targets vulnerable children under 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls (PBWG) during the hunger gap/lean season. The prioritized sectors and localities were a result of consultation meetings hosted by SHF, where all partners in the state helped determine the biggest needs. ltbrgtA total of 70,953 direct beneficiaries will be targeted out of which approximately 61% are females.ltbrgtBuilding upon successful modalities implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) of Sudan, our initiative entails a scale-up of proven strategies. This includes mass Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) and edema screenings, adoption of the family MUAC approach, provision of cooking demonstrations, Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) sessions focusing on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and health education, among others.ltbrgtFurthermore, the project incorporates the establishment of a mobile clinic in West Jebel Marra, aiming to enhance access to healthcare services and referral pathways. This initiative also encompasses capacity building for healthcare workers and the installation of a generator to support a secondary care unit.ltbrgtIn addition to healthcare provisions, the project includes the distribution of agriculture inputs to vulnerable households, accompanied by training on best agricultural practices. Livestock support will also be extended to targeted households, coupled with refresher trainings for animal health workers. Moreover, 92 households will receive three rounds of cash assistance for food.lt/pgtltpgtThe urgency of our intervention is underscored by the significant deterioration in the food security situation following the eruption of conflict on April 15th, 2023. OCHA's Humanitarian Update for 2023 reports that conflict and economic decline have pushed approximately 20.3 million people across Sudan into high levels of acute food insecurity, with regions like West Darfur, South Kordofan, and Central Darfur facing particularly dire circumstances. Sudan ranks among the top four countries globally for the prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM), with an estimated 13.6 percent. The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) projects 4.7 million people in need (PiN) – the highest ever estimated in Sudan.lt/pgtltpgtltbrgtThe project  faces the risk of exacerbating tensions and undermining social cohesion through discriminatory distribution of essential supplies. To mitigate this, prioritizing equitable resource allocation is crucial for fostering community trust and strengthening social bonds. Conducting thorough conflict analysis alongside other project assessments ensures interventions are tailored to address underlying tensions while effectively meeting life saving needs. All activities have been designed with CS considerations in mind in order to do no harm. A fair and transparent selection criteria will be used to ensure the most vulnerable are selected in order to ensure conflict cleavages are not deepened. See Annex on Conflict Sensitivity for more information how SC will adapt its response to address this. ltbrgtltbrgtlt/pgt