nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
Benishangul Gumuz is in western Ethiopia. The current displacement is not directly related to conflict in the country's northern Tigray region which have pushed more than 61,000 to seek safety in Sudan in recent months.
Out of the 7,000 people estimated to have arrived in Blue Nile State, nearly 3,000 have been registered. This number is expected to increase as the verification exercise continues in all the locations where refugees are being hosted. In the past weeks, UNHCR and partners have provided humanitarian assistance to nearly 1,000 refugees in Yabacher  ( Wad Al Mahi locality ) , on the SudanEthiopia border. Refugees have received food, access to health, water and sanitation facilities, and aid supplies.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, is working closely with Sudanese authorities and partners to assess the situation and respond to the humanitarian needs of the newly arrived  [ refugees from Ethiopia ] , many of whom have arrived in hard toreach locations along the border.
WHH is also ensuring that refugees get timely access to emergency shelter and household supplies.
FEWS NET  [ Famine Early Warning Systems Network ]  reports in its latest update that displacement due to tribal clashes, above average staple food prices and continued macroeconomic difficulties are contributing to higher than normal emergency food assistance needs in Sudan during the post harvest season. These needs are expected to persist into at least May 2020, particularly as the lean season in agricultural and agropastoral areas approaches.
In Um Rakoba camp, humanitarians are racing against the clock to meet the needs of these refugees. With funding of over $520,000 from the SHF, the international NGO Welthungerhilfe  ( WHH )  has been scaling up its response to cater for the refugees. WHH is responding to the emergency needs of the most vulnerable, ensuring that people have access to drinkable water, safe and proper sanitation facilities and improving their awareness about hygiene related issues, with a particular focus on COVID 19 prevention.
Tens of thousands of vulnerable Ethiopian people have crossed the border into eastern Sudan fleeing conflict in the Tigray region that started in November 2020. The refugees are arriving tired, with little or no belongings and humanitarian organizations in Sudan are providing the refugees with the assistance they desperately need.
The price of the local food basket increased by around 80 percent in every cluster between November 2017 and November 2018.
The health facility is made up of three tents and receives between 70 and 100 patients daily. The most common heath issues attended to in the clinic are respiratory and skin diseases, and malaria. Some children under five years arrive at the clinic suffering from moderate malnutrition, while the most common chronic diseases the clinic receives are hypertension and diabetes. The health facility does not charge for consultations, laboratory investigations or medicine. Tests for malaria, typhoid, blood haemoglobin, helicobacter pylori  ( a bacterial infection in the stomach that usually happens to children )  and pregnancy are carried out at the health facility for free.
The September 2020 floods were devastating to Wad Ramli residents who farm on the banks of River Nile as they were just recovering from the effects of the 2019 floods when the 2020 floods struck with more severity.
The tented temporary health facility is managed by Almanar  [ an NNGO ]  with the support of the Sudan Ministry of Health and funding by the Sudan Humanitarian Fund. The health facility offers free medical assistance to about 5,000 people in the area affected by the 2020 floods.
Overall, humanitarian agencies in Sudan need US$1.9 billion to save lives and provide humanitarian assistance to 8.9 million people across the country. Aid organisations need early and flexible funding for the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan to sustain humanitarian operations and provide a timely response.
In 2021, at least 7.1 million people are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity, mainly due to inflation
A range of equipment and supplies have been provided, including new patient beds, a medical waste incinerator and medical storage equipment – while solar panels are being added to ensure refrigeration for medicines. The international NGO Mercy Corps is providing medical personnel for day to day operations. The World Health Organization and the Global Fund have provided critically needed medicines, and the International Organization for Migration is supporting the construction of latrines.
Responding to the crisis, the UN Development Programme  ( UNDP )  and partners have undertaken civil works – such as expanding health infrastructure by rehabilitating the Um Rakuba health centre – as well as deploying three mobile clinics to the wider area
As the influx of refugees continues along the Ethiopia Sudan border, with more than 61,000 having arrived to date, the limited healthcare services in the area for refugees and existing facilities for local communities in eastern Sudan are under pressure.
IOM reported in its 10th update on Ag Geneina, West Darfur that about 108,600 people seek shelter in Ag Geneina and surrounding villages. They were displaced from IDP camps surrounding the town, Krinding 1 and 2 IDP camps  ( 51 per cent ) , Sultan House area  ( 15 per cent ) , Hai Eljabal area  ( 4 per cent )  and other sites nearby  ( 30 per cent ) . There has been a decrease of 4,760 people who returned to their locations of origin since the previous update.
The three main priority needs for the displaced people in Ag Geneina town remain WASH  ( water, sanitation, and hygiene ) , education, and health  ( medical needs ) . On the other hand, priority needs in the villages surrounding Ag Geneina town are identified as food, non food items and WASH
On the positive side, there was an improvement in the casual labor wage daily rate, which increased by 14 per cent in February 2021 compared to the previous month.
Food and beverage prices continued to rise, causing inflation to continue to rise from the record high of 300 per cent for the second month in a row, CBS  [ Central Bank of Sudan ]  reported.
Migrants contribute to fuelling growth, filling labour market gaps, and enriching Sudanese society. Although they have played significant roles on the frontlines of the COVID 19 pandemic, they have been more vulnerable to its impacts. The COVID 19 pandemic has challenged the inclusion of migrants and social cohesion in Sudan. As a result, migrants are faced with substantial challenges, such as stigmatization, demonstrations of discrimination, and xenophobia which can undermine social cohesion within communities and prompt possible social exclusion of certain groups.
This campaign  ( ‘Only Together We Complete the Picture' campaign )  comes as part of a larger programme, falling under IOM's Migrant Protection and Assistance programme. IOM Sudan provides protection and assistance to migrants in need, including victims of human trafficking, smuggled migrants with protection needs, rejected asylum seekers, migrants in irregular situations for various reasons, stranded migrants and unaccompanied and separated migrant children, and other migrants at risk or subjected to violence, exploitation or abuse. Assistance is provided through IOM's Migrant Resource and Response Centres  ( MRRC )  located in Khartoum and Gedaref.
Children's vulnerabilities have been further exacerbated by COVID 19
Supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration  ( SEM )  and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy the International Organization for Migration  ( IOM )  launched on 16 March the ‘Only Together We Complete the Picture' campaign. The campaign highlights messages of solidarity, acceptance and respect, with the aim of fostering a culture that values diversity and the contribution that migrants bring to Sudanese society, while emphasizing how we are all united as human beings.
As of 24 March, child protection partners have reunited 21 children with their families. Efforts are underway to trace the families of the remaining 52 children who are now in foster care among families within their communities. The children receive psychosocial support, including counselling, despite the minimal resources that the child protection partners are operating with.
Partners working in child protection have registered 73 unaccompanied or separated children in Ag Geneina and surrounding villages that were affected by inter communal conflict in January, which displaced about 108,500 people  ( 22,250 families )  to Ag Geneina Town and surrounding villages
According to the latest update from the International Organization for Migration  ( IOM )  Sudan Displacement Tracking Matrix  ( DTM )  there are about 1,100 child headed households and 190 unaccompanied minors in and around Ag Geneina. If not protected, these children are at a high risk of abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect.
The terms of trade for pastoralists, calculated as prices of 1 kg of sorghum obtained selling an animal, generally decreased in 2020. The decline mainly reflects the steeper increase of sorghum prices compared to livestock prices in 2020 due to tight domestic availabilities of the grain on account of the below average output in 2019.
Prices of wheat grain, mainly imported and consumed in urban areas, continued to increase in 2020, supported by lower imports between January and September 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The upsurge was compounded by the sustained currency depreciation, which made imports more expensive. As the country mostly imports wheat grain, rising costs of milling and producing wheat flour contributed to the increase in bread prices
In November 2020, prices of sorghum and millet were about four times higher than at the same month of 2019. The surge was driven by the below average cereal output gathered in 2019 as well as concerns over the August floods on 2020 crops. The price increase was also exacerbated by the sharp depreciation of the local currency and the significant growth in inflation, which exerted upward pressure on production costs.
For the third consecutive year, a significant extent of the areas planted with sesame were affected by the Sesame Gall Midge. The area affected is progressively expanding, from about 50 000 feddans in Gedaref State in 2018, to 150 000 feddans in 2019, when the pest was reported also in Kassala State and in small areas of Sennar State, to about 700 000 feddans  ( 294 000 hectares )  in 2020, when it was reported in Gedaref, Kassala, Sennar and White Nile states, with particularly high infestation levels in Kassala State.
( 28 March 2019 ) In almost all clusters surveyed, households led by female were more food insecure. This comparison was more pronounced among IDP population in both Darfur and Central, Eastern, and Three Areas  ( CETA )
( 28 March 2019 ) In West Kordofan, food insecurity increased or was stable at high level in the clusters. Elmairam cluster experienced 10 percent point increase in the percentage of people who are food insecure, reaching 79 percent. For Kharasana cluster, the figure was stable at 67 percent since previous year November. While the percentage of people who have poor food consumption decreased in both clusters, it seems that the decrease of purchasing power is worsening the food security situation.
The per kilo price of sorghum also increased significantly from 4.3 SDG in November 2017 to 11.3 SDG in November 2018. This price represents an all time high for the state of South Kordofan, though still being somewhat lower than the country average for May which was 11.6 SDG
( 28 March 2019 ) Groundnut production failure was observed in the area, where the South Sudanese refugees are heavily reliant on sharecropping system with the host community. 84 percent of the refugees in Al Lait also resorted to consumption based negative coping strategies as opposed to previous year's 23 percent.
( 28 March 2019 ) Despite production levels this year, inflation has driven up food prices. At the same time, production costs have risen due to increases in fuel prices, agricultural labour costs and the cost of inputs. Especially for imported inputs these increases have been very significant and driven by the devaluation of the Sudanese Pound.
The availability of fuel for the 2020/21 summer cropping season improved from the previous year and about 200 000 cubic metres were approved and distributed by the Ministry of Petroleum between April and November 2020, amounting to 95 percent of the 210 000 cubic metres proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Protracted displacement remains high with limited sustained returns. In 2020, the estimate of the number of IDPs is 2.5 million. Close to 100,000 people have been displaced in 2020 due to inter communal and armed conflict.
Further reductions in fuel subsidies will continue to feed inflation. The Government plans to compensate for the negative impact of subsidy removal through the World Bank implemented Family Support Programme and expansion of cooperatives.
The partial removal of subsidies increased the cost of basic services; transport costs increased by 585 per cent nationally, reflecting a 744 per cent increase in rural and 393 per cent in urban areas.
In 2020 inflation averaged 254 per cent nationally, with a rate at 276.8 per cent in rural areas and 225.4 per cent in urban areas.
In 2021, inflation is expected to remain in triple digits, driven by persistent and large trade deficit combined with reductions on foreign direct investment   and an unsustainable fiscal deficit.
[ By November 2020, inflation has risen to over 254% ]  This upward trend started in 2018, when inflation doubled to 60 per cent following doubling bread prices and an increase on imports.
While the COVID 19 containment measures managed to prevent countrywide spread of the pandemic, it negatively impacted the large informal service sector in urban areas and affecting daily workers   particularly women  who grapple with abject poverty.
People who are displaced due to conflict are concentrated in the Darfur States which has 31 per cent of the total displaced. The majority of refugees are in Khartoum and White Nile with significant clusters in need around metropolitan Khartoum.
Of the 13.4M people in need, the lives of 7.3M people are threatened by the humanitarian situation, the life sustaining conditions of 13.4M people are so low that they need emergency humanitarian support, Nearly all those in the life threatening group are also in the life sustaining group.
Community support networks have weakened and are not sufficient, and lack of formal dispute resolution mechanisms influence the escalation of localized clashes into larger inter communal conflicts. In 2020, having contributed to reducing risks in Darfur, UNAMID's  [ UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur ]  withdrawal will leave gaps in civilian protection.
According to the education sector, this is significantly worse for nomadic communities, with already more than three quarters of nomadic children out of school prior to school closures. The difficulty to cover basic needs is often accompanied with negative coping mechanisms including school drop outs, child labour, social tensions with host communities, early/child marriage and GBV issues.
Information available suggests that 22 per cent of households have one or more members who do not possess any form of documentation
Lack of quality education also affects refugees, with children being particularly vulnerable. Nine out of ten secondary school aged refugee children are not receiving any formal education, with refugees from South Sudan particularly affected. Many refugee children work outside the home to supplement the family's income. In 2020, these risks were exacerbated by the negative impact of COVID 19, including long periods of school closure, which will likely continue into 2021.
More than 2.9 million of vulnerable children need life sustaining humanitarian support in education. There are 1.8 million vulnerable children at schools experiencing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity. These children are at high risk of dropping out of school or having their educational attainment curtailed if they are not adequately supported.
Safe access to water remains limited, and COVID 19 revealed WASH gaps in urban and densely populated areas such as Khartoum. Lack of WASH infrastructure in schools across the country, including hand washing stations and latrines, remains a challenge and increases the risk of disease outbreaks.
Distribution of medical supplies has been affected by importing challenges. Reportedly, only 15 per cent of the essential medicines and medical supplies are available in the market. Most health facilities lack quality services for survivors of GBV including clinical management of rape.
Across Sudan, clinics and hospitals lack critical medicines. This was already a challenge due to the economic crisis which increased prices and was exacerbated by the COVID 19 outbreak which in turn disrupted supply chains.
Approximately 70 per cent of the Government expenditure is allocated to security, while health, education, and social welfare receive only 10 per cent.
Girls are at high risk of abuse; in 2020 sexual violence, killing and maiming were the most common forms of violations against children, with all survivors of sexual violence being female.
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the impact of the humanitarian crises in Sudan due to gender inequality, intersecting with other factors of discrimination and disadvantage, including age, ethnicity, and marital status.
All 18 states of Sudan were affected by flooding in 2020, destroying over 100,000 houses and damaging over 37,000 houses. Infrastructure damage was reported to 559 schools, over 2,600 health facilities and over 1,800 water resources.
Approximately 54 per cent of all people affected  [ by flooding ]  were in North Darfur, Khartoum, Blue Nile, West Darfur and Sennar. The recent floods compounded the impact of the economic crisis and derived large productive sector out of production cycle in the affected areas, resulting in large numbers of people needing humanitarian assistance; the hardest hit community segments were daily wage, agricultural labour, and local business owners who lost their capital.
Throughout most of 2020, the risk of desert locust remained in Sudan. As of September, the situation developed rapidly in winter and summer breeding areas, particularly at the summer breeding belts of the Red Sea and Kassala states.
Around three million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition out of which an estimated 570,000 have severe acute malnutrition  ( SAM ) .
One out of five people cannot meet the minimum living standards in Sudan. For the indicators that produce the severity of needs for life threatening and life sustaining humanitarian conditions.
The rental rate of agricultural machinery doubled in 2020 compared to 2019, with a negative impact on farmers who do not own it.
The Sudanese Pound  ( SDG )  was devaluated from SDG 45.2 to SDG 51.5 in February and to 55.3 per US dollar in March 2020 to narrow the increasing gap with the exchange rates in the parallel market. Here, the Sudanese Pound has been weakening since late 2017 as the lift of international sanctions on the country increased the demand for US dollars.
The average annual inflation rate, estimated at 50 percent in 2019, continued to soar at a steeper rate in 2020, reaching 250 percent in November 2020. The upsurge is mainly due to the intensified monetization of the increasing fiscal deficit in 2020
At the end of the third quarter of 2020, the trade balance recorded a deficit of about USD 3.9 billion, slightly higher than last year's already elevated level. Compared to the same period in 2019, exports of crude oil decreased by more than 60 percent in volume terms due to a decline in international demand after the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic. By contrast, exports of gold in the first nine months of 2020 increased by nearly 50 percent year on year, mainly reflecting higher foreign demand.
The availability of agricultural machinery was generally adequate. However, the cost of maintenance and spare parts was high, with spare parts often reported to have low quality. In addition, the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the COVID 19 pandemic, including the closure of markets, disrupted maintenance and repair activities, especially at the beginning of the summer season.
Regarding the winter cropping season, the total finance provided up to December 2020 was SDG 11 284 million, of which 96 percent was granted to the irrigated sector
Regarding the distribution of loans, about 82 percent was provided to the semi mechanized rainfed sector, 14 percent to the irrigated sector and the remaining 4 percent to the traditional rainfed sector and other sectors
As the establishment of new refugee sites became necessary after the influx of the Ethiopian refugees, partners are providing support to COR  [ Commissioner for Refugees ]  in the management of the setup of the new camps in Gedaref
Currently, the two transit centres at Hamdayet and village 8 as well as the refugee site in Um Rakuba are only accessible by dirt road which makes transportation of humanitarian goods and staff time consuming and difficult. Therefore, transportation services for goods and personnel are required to support timely assistance at the refugee sites.
Installation of hand washing facilities at all schools, health facilities and marketplaces and ensuring consistent provision of soap of at least 450g per person per month across all locations is highly recommended to prevent the spread of COVID 19 and other diseases.
Consistent and regular distribution of Personal Hygiene items for Menstrual Hygiene Management remains an area requiring urgent attention for all refugees.
The rapid depreciation of the Sudanese currency has greatly affected past targets of latrine construction, particularly in White Nile State. This means the latrine coverage remains quite low with widespread open defecation.
In Al Mashaga, South Darfur, a newly established refugee settlement, there is urgent need for latrines.
Open defecation due to poor latrine coverage and poor hygiene practices remains an ongoing challenge in most areas of Sudan.
High latrine usage ratios remain a major challenge in White Nile State having the highest latrine usage ratio at 94 persons per latrine in Dabat Bosin compared to the desired number of 20 persons per latrine
Fluoride concentrations in Wad Sharifey and Um Gargour boreholes in Kassala exceeds that of the Sudanese water quality limit and that also of WHO of 1.5 mg/l. Current concentrations of Fluoride ranges between 1.7 and 4.6 mg/L. Excess fluoride consumed over long periods can cause skeletal fluorosis. This requires urgent attention to mitigate the undesirable effects of excessive fluoride.
Being a protracted situation, camp water supply systems need to be mainstreamed within national water systems, especially where host communities and local livestock are relying on camp water systems.
In Dimso, South Darfur, CAR ( Central African Republic )  refugees are living in settlements in Maramosa and Karakada towns where water distribution networks need to be rehabilitated to accommodate the needs of both refugees and host communities.
Outside of El Radom settlement in South Darfur, CAR  ( Central African Republic )  refugees have only access to 5 10 litres per person per day, which is still far below the emergency daily per capita upper limit of 15l/p/d. Reduced water quantities are also as a result of erratic fuel supplies on the local market.
The 2020 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification  ( IPC )  report for Sudan forecasts persistent high food insecurity levels in Sudan driven by high inflation, increasing food prices and a deteriorating economy. This has been further compounded by the lockdown restrictions due to COVID 19 that disrupted access to food and reduced operational capacities of infrastructural facilities such as roads, seaports, and airports, which affected supply chains. This is further aggravated by an estimated national cereal production in 2019/20 that was 57 percent below the previous year and 18 percent less than the five year average. Upcoming harvest situation will be critical to the change of food security situation and is being monitored.
Inflation reached 230 percent in October 2020 year on year and the average price of sorghum in November 2020 reached SDG 80.6 per kg, which is 269.72 percent higher than the same period of the previous year, and 775 percent higher than the average of the past 5 years
In many parts of Sudan agriculture is the main source of livelihood for refugees and host communities. For this reason, there is a need to develop capacity in the agricultural sector along with the provision of inputs and strengthening of extension services.
Livelihoods gaps have direct impacts on child protection by reducing families' capacity to keep their children in school and turning to negative coping strategies including early marriage and child labour. Access to formal livelihoods opportunities is even more challenging.
Movement restrictions further reduce the capacity for self reliance by preventing refugees from moving to areas in Sudan with better work opportunities.
The available livelihoods opportunities for refugees are largely in the informal sector with high uncertainty of daily labour accompanied by high risks of exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse.
The general fuel shortages in Sudan as well as the environmental impact of using fossil fuel has increased the need for solar systems as a power source for lightning and production to support livelihoods.
Also, the reliance on firewood has led to forest degradation in many areas, increasing host community tensions over this scarce resource. This has caused a need for reforestation with local trees as well as awareness building on environmental degradation and preservation
Most households rely on inefficient three stone stoves, which are a major fire hazard due to their instability and present negative health impacts for households due to smoke inhalation and burn risk. This results in a high need to provide fuel efficient stoves and alternative cooking fuel like gas, ethanol or briquettes.
The average national retail price of sorghum reached 97.33 SDG per kg in February 2021, an increase of 4.9 per cent compared to January 2021.
Most refugees live in remote areas where electricity is not available or extremely limited for them or the host communities. This puts them in a situation where firewood is the only available energy source for cooking, housing and lighting with no alternative cooking fuel or energy sources available in the local market. This requires refugees to travel far distances to collect firewood which puts women and children at heightened GBV risks, who are the primary collectors of firewood.
The record floods of 2020 have increased the vulnerability of populations living in flood prone areas causing damage to houses, service facilities, food items, livestock and property
Lastly, improving protection and physical safety specifically for women and children through the provision of adequate lighting is needed in refugee camps and settlement areas which can be provided by solar lanterns and streetlights. Further assessments are needed in camps to identify the replenishment needs.
Refugees living in out of camps settlements as well as in urban areas such as Khartoum, Nyla, El Fasher and other areas also require support for both shelter and NFIs through in kind distributions or conditional cash.
While refugees residing in out of camp locations   including urban settings   often live in collective settlements or rent land or accommodation, their shelter conditions are often dire and require additional materials for maintenance.
In addition, funding constraints further aggravate the current socioeconomic situation that is seeing increasingly high inflation rates in Sudan.
While the primary focus is on durable shelter through in kind or cash based interventions given a conducive environment, there are limitations due to land allocation.
The existing refugee camps continue to host populations that exceed their capacity causing persistent overcrowded conditions. Due to the lack of space, it is difficult to accommodate new arrivals and have regular maintenance/repair of shelters.
Refugees living in camps are highly reliant on humanitarian aid and basic services. There are also substantial gaps in the provision of adequate shelter and non food items.
The Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey  ( SENS )  survey conducted in White Nile, East Darfur, South and West Kordofan indicate ‘critical' rates  ( >15 per cent )  of Global Acute Malnutrition  ( GAM )  and Severe Acute Malnutrition  ( SAM )   ( >3 per cent )  among children of 6 to 59 months of age. The SENS also indicate high rates of anaemia  ( >40 per cent )  among children and women  ( aged 15 49 years ) , as well as low antenatal service, measles immunization and Vitamin A supplementation coverage for refugees in all the above mentioned refugee hosting States.
In out of camp locations and urban settings where refugees are expected to pay out of pocket for health services, the lack of livelihood opportunities means that most refugees have very limited access to quality primary, secondary and tertiary medical care treatment if available. Even if there is access to secondary and tertiary health services, there is limited support for the treatment of chronic illnesses
While refugees in camps are significantly better off, with over 90 per cent having access to primary health services, only 25 50 per cent of refugees living outside of camps have consistent access to quality health care.
Refugees and their host communities live in areas with limited health infrastructure and availability of drugs, understaffing and medical supply shortages.
The COVID 19 pandemic has emphasised the need for handwashing stations at school level to promote COVID 19 prevention protocols and increase overall hygiene at schools, including gender appropriate facilities
A lack of education also reduces a child's income earning capacity in adulthood, which perpetuates the cycle of poverty and dependence on humanitarian assistance, particularly in protracted situations of displacement. These compounded protection risks disproportionately affect girls, notably adolescent girls.
Refugee children who are out of school face serious protection risks, including risk of exploitation and abuse, as well as GBV and early marriage for young girls. The situation is particularly concerning for the high numbers of UASC  [ Unaccompanied or Separated Children ]  who are especially vulnerable.
Adult literacy levels are low and gaps in adult learning programmes persist.
There is also a lack of secondary schools that refugee students can access as the few secondary schools are in the host community with limited capacity and lack of boarding facilities.
The existing schools lack basic infrastructural facilities in addition to severe teacher shortages and a lack of school supplies.
The lack of school feeding also drives drop out and retention issues. Parents often cannot afford to cover school costs due to a lack of livelihoods/income opportunities.
Drop out rates are high among refugees, particularly in the East among Eritreans and girls in upper primary classes. The quality of education is poor with significant gaps in school equipment and shortage of space particularly in the South.
As pre primary education is a prerequisite for admission to basic education under the Ministry of Education's policy, refugees face difficulties in the current circumstances because of shortage of pre schools
Many refugees must pay a fee to access education in Sudan and the absorption capacity is limited in public schools. This often deters refugee populations from accessing public schools.
Most schools do not have adequate WASH facilities. Many of these schools also do not have access to water that would enable them to comply with the new COVID 19 protocols set out by the Federal Ministry of Education  ( FMoE )
There is also a need to mainstream refugee education access within the national education system as much as possible to support equitable access to quality education for refugees living outside of camps in urban and out of camp areas.
Outside of camps, lack of access to livelihoods and household income is a key barrier to refugee children attending school as families struggle to pay for school fees, uniforms and supplies.
Effective identification, assessment and targeted support for at risk children remains limited and is further compounded by the lack of specialised child protection services, particularly in remote areas.
Children – and in particular UASC  [ Unaccompanied or Separated Children ] ,  ( many of whom require family reunification support, alternative care arrangements and assistance )  continue to remain at heightened risk of exploitation, neglect and abuse
In addition, these refugees  [ those with disabilities ]  are at particular risk as they are not always identifiable and because they face specific difficulties in participating actively in decisions that concern them, which decreases the likelihood that their essential protection and assistance needs are met.
Moreover, refugees with disabilities face numerous barriers to accessing humanitarian assistance, education, livelihoods, health care and other services; and are often excluded from decision making processes and leadership opportunities
At the same time, the lack of healthcare in humanitarian settings has particular impact on women's sexual and reproductive health needs.
Women's livelihoods also tend to be disproportionally affected, and girls in crisis are more likely than boys to lose out on education.
During and after crises, pre existing gender inequality and discrimination create particular challenges for women and girls. As a result, many endure extreme hardships, including increased insecurity, restricted mobility, sexual exploitation and abuse, and gender based violence  ( GBV ) .
Roughly half of all refugees are women and girls, who are differently and often disproportionately affected by both disasters and violent conflicts.
The World Bank estimates that poverty levels will remain extremely high on the back of severe food insecurity and limited access to basic services across the country. Refugees are particularly affected by these conditions facing additional protection risks and often being heavily reliant on humanitarian assistance.
Further, the economic downturn accelerated by COVID 19 lockdown restrictions resulted in inflation rates of over 230 per cent in October 2020 and a rapid depreciation of the local currency.
Investments in local infrastructure and strengthening of gender sensitive education, health, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene  ( WASH )  services is also needed to ensure that local service systems have the capacity to absorb the increasing needs of refugees and host communities, and further strengthen social cohesion and peaceful coexistence so both communities can thrive.
The global economic contraction due to COVID 19 has also significantly reduced remittances to Sudan.
In 2020, Sudan's precarious humanitarian situation was compounded by the global COVID 19 pandemic and record unprecedented floods affecting over 900,000 people including refugees.
[ Measures to contain COVID 19 ]  extended lockdown measures caused additional hardship for refugees struggling to earn a livelihood.
Urban refugees in Khartoum live within the host community neighbourhoods. The majority face obstacles travelling to Khartoum due to movement limitation for refugees coming from the East and other parts of Sudan.
An estimated 50 per cent of the new arrivals migrate onwards, becoming vulnerable to criminal networks involved in human smuggling and trafficking of people. Along these migratory routes, refugees and asylum seekers can be exposed to various forms of exploitation that can result in human rights violations, including SGBV. Moreover, onward movement also puts refugees at further risk of refoulement. Unaccompanied And Separated Children  ( UASC )  arriving through these routes are of key concern
Asylum seekers  [ from Ethiopia ]  are assisted by Commissioner for Refugees  ( COR )  at the Sudanese border where they are temporarily housed in reception centres before being transferred to the Shagarab camps where they undergo health and nutrition screening, registration, and are able to initiate Refugee Status Determination  ( RSD )  procedures.
It is anticipated that over 180,000 refugees and asylum seekers who live in eleven camps in Kassala and Gedaref, and parts of Kassala Town will need assistance in 2021.
Furthermore, encampment policies and movement restrictions force refugees and asylum seekers to use smugglers to facilitate their internal and onward movements, which often exposes especially children and adolescent girls and boys to human trafficking and grave protection risks.
While refugees often benefit from generous support provided by host communities, local resources are scarce, and services strained. Seasonal floods further compounded this situation, causing destruction of livelihoods, infrastructure, productive land and assets.
refugees, internally displaced persons  ( IDPs ) , returnees and host communities have been adversely affected by a severe economic downturn with annual inflation rates of over 269 per cent  ( December 2020 ) , fuel shortages across the country and a general lack of income opportunities.
Over 1,600 health workers and rapid response teams in at least 277 localities across Sudan have been trained, hygiene kits distributed to nearly 500,000 people and protective equipment to attend the needs of 6,000 health centres in the country
The situation is worsening and now over 9.6 million people are facing severe hunger, in a country with already high malnutrition rates. Because of the fragile economy, more and more people are unable to meet their basic needs, as high inflation continues to erode families' purchasing power. An average local food basket takes up at least 75 per cent of household income.
In partnership with IOM International Organization for Migration ] , UNHCR also leads a COVID 19 internally displaced persons  ( IDPs )  Camp Coordination Task Force to ensure multi sectoral coordination in IDP camps.
It  [ UNHCR ]  coordinates closely with UNICEF to support access to WASH for refugees living out of camps.
UNHCR continues to advocate for and support the government in enabling refugees to access basic services with host communities.
In urban areas, UNHCR covers medications, life saving surgical procedures and diagnostics at selected health facilities.
UNHCR and IOM  [ International Organization for Migration ]  co chair the Counter Trafficking & Mixed Movements Working Group  ( CTWG )  with IOM.
UNHCR supports the IGAD  [ Intergovernmental Authority on Development ]  led initiative on Durable Solutions for Sudan and South Sudan Displacement, including the development of a National Durable Solutions Strategy. It also co chairs the Durable Solutions Working Group with UNDP  [ United Nations Development Program ]  and Danish Refugee Council  ( DRC ) .
UNHCR works with partners to explore alternative cooking energy to improve the protection to women and girls. In White Nile State, it pilots a project in which refugee and Sudanese families are being provided with fuel efficient stoves and ethanol made from a locally produced by product of sugar.
UNHCR works with COR  [ Sudan's Commissioner for Refugees ]  on building the asylum system and conducts joint asylum registration with contactless Biometric Identity Management System  ( BIMS ) . In 2020, nearly 38,000 refugees were registered and over 13,000 issued identity cards, ensuring better access to protection and health services.
Sudan hosts 1.1 million refugees and 2.5 million internally displaced persons  ( IDPs ) . Recently, it saw new displacements from Ethiopia and within Darfur states.
UNHCR and partners continue responding to the needs of about 60,000 refugees in East Sudan from Ethiopia's Tigray region and 7,000 asylum seekers in Blue Nile state from Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz region.
There are high levels of awareness of the importance of forests for the environment and that imbedded the norm of not felling trees in the communities of the area.
COVID 19 is having direct and indirect impacts on food access in Sudan, according to the latest food security alert report from FEWS NET.
Women and children have been especially affected. Maternal health clinics have closed, reproductive health services have been interrupted and over 110,000 children are missing out essential vaccines.
Sudan's health system was under extreme stress prior to the pandemic and has been further stretched to prevent, contain and treat COVID19. Approximately 81 per cent of the population do not have access to a functional health centre within two hours of their home and the situation is getting worse, as many clinics are closing during the pandemic
From the second week of January 2021, the average number of daily cases went down to about 100, and from the beginning of February it reduced further below 25 cases, according to the FMoH data.
Overall, communication with communities on promoting COVID 19 prevention measures, isolation centres, and health and hygiene practices have just started and need more support. Four active of COVID 19 cases highlight the urgent need to enhance these structures both for host and refugee community
UNHCR is distributing soaps and masks to new arrivals at Hamdayet and Village 8 transit centres
COVID 19 prevention measures, including wearing masks, and social distancing, are being observed during the relocation of refugees to Tunaydbah camp.
Sudan's Government Commissioner for Refugees  ( COR )  is conducting preliminary registration at transit centres at the household level, while UNHCR is registering new arrivals in Um Rakuba using its electronic registration and case management system  ( ProGres v4 reception module )  at individual level.
To mitigate potential health and security risks, the UN Refugee Agency  ( UNHCR )  and partners are working to relocate refugees to camps away from the border
WFP rapidly responded to the influx of new refugees from day one, providing food for hot meals and high energy biscuits at reception centres on the border, giving logistical support to the humanitarian community, distributing monthly food rations to refugees in camps, and providing nutrition support to children under five and pregnant or nursing women.
Health services have also been affected by lack of funding and strikes by health staff who have not received salaries and incentives for months.
The lack of medicines is compounded by the cost of health services increasing by 200 per cent compared to last year.
FEWS NET reports in its latest update that displacement due to tribal clashes, above average staple food prices and continued macroeconomic difficulties are contributing to higher than normal emergency food assistance needs in Sudan during the post harvest season.
The refugees are arriving tired, with little or no belongings and humanitarian organizations in Sudan are providing the refugees with the assistance they desperately need.
Dr. Nima Saeed Abid, WHO Representative in Sudan, confirmed that the vaccines received today are safe and have been approved through WHO's Emergency Use Listing Procedure for use in Sudan and other countries.
Globally and in Sudan, COVID 19 has disrupted delivery of essential services and continues to claim lives and disrupt livelihoods. As of 1 March 2021, Sudan had over 28,505 confirmed COVID 19 cases and 1,892 associated deaths, since the first COVID 19 positive case was announced on 13 March 2020.
The vaccines were delivered with the UN Children's Fund  ( UNICEF )  support through COVAX, a coalition co led by the World Health Organization  ( WHO ) , Gavi  ( the Global Vaccines Alliance )  and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations  ( CEPI ) , working on the equitable distribution of COVID 19 vaccines to countries regardless of their income.
The clinic's staff consist of two laboratory technicians, two medical assistants, two pharmacists and 10 community volunteers. The health facility can facilitate referrals to the larger government managed hospital about 10km away.
WHO has worked with national authorities to put a vaccination strategy in place that includes training vaccinators, ensuring vaccine safety, and surveillance for adverse effects.
The health facility is made up of three tents and receives between 70 and 100 patients daily. The most common heath issues attended to in the clinic are respiratory and skin diseases, and malaria.
Overall, humanitarian agencies in Sudan need US$1.9 billion to save lives and provide humanitarian assistance to 8.9 million people across the country.
Prices of locally grown sorghum and millet, after declining in January 2021 from the record highs reached in December 2020, resumed their upward trend in February 2021, according to March 2021 update from the Food Price Monitoring and Analysis  ( FPMA )  Bulletin.
A range of equipment and supplies have been provided, including new patient beds, a medical waste incinerator and medical storage equipment – while solar panels are being added to ensure refrigeration for medicines.
While regular services continued, locally employed labourers undertook extensive construction and repair, adding an examination room, an emergency room, a delivery room, a pharmacy, and an HIV testing room.
IOM reported in its 10th update on Ag Geneina, West Darfur that about 108,600 people seek shelter in Ag Geneina and surrounding villages. They were displaced from IDP camps surrounding the town, Krinding 1 and 2 IDP camps  ( 51 per cent ) , Sultan House area  ( 15 per cent ) , Hai Eljabal area  ( 4 per cent )  and other sites nearby  ( 30 per cent ) .
This increase is due to the inflationary increase in the cost of production and transportation, in addition to the current high demand as the harvest from the previous seasons were depleted earlier. Sorghum prices are expected to slightly increase during the coming month.
During first three weeks of February, the exchange rate varied between 350 and 400 SDG per dollar on the parallel market
In 2020, donors provided US$979.6 million towards the 2020 HRP and outside the HRP. The total contributions to the HRP were $865.8 million, or 53 per cent of the financial requirement.
A total of 3.8 million people received food assistance, 3.7 million were provided medical consultations, 2.8 million were given access to safe water, 1.6 million received livelihoods assistance, and 1.2 million were assisted by the education sector, mainly school feeding.
Refugees in Sudan face high levels of poverty further exacerbated by the continued economic crisis and inflation, the COVID 19 pandemic and seasonal flooding which hit record high levels last year. Sudanese people also grapple with high levels of food insecurity and forced displacement, with around 2.5 million being internally displaced.
The number of people in need of assistance in Sudan in 2021 is the highest reported in the past decade. Humanitarian partners in Sudan estimate that about 13.4 million people 29 per cent of the population will need humanitarian assistance throughout 2021
Needs have grown across Sudan and are at record levels driven largely by the economic crisis with spiralling inflation, shortages of food, fuel and medicine
Flood mitigation intervention in Tokar/Red Sea by Government: Additional seed distributions and by Humanitarian organizations: Food and shelter aid
The program  [ Sudan Family Support Programme  ( SFSP )  ] is being implemented by the Government of Sudan and the World Bank is providing the Government with technical support to strengthen its financial and social protection system and monitor the program's activities to ensure effective implementation.
As of 3 March, about 79,000 Sudanese families  ( close to 400,000 people )  received their first month payment through cash cards at a cost of about $1.9 million. Sudan Family Support Programme  ( SFSP )