Box 2.1

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: WELTHUNGERHILFE IN SUDAN

Welthungerhilfe, with its mandate to work on both humanitarian assistance and development cooperation, operates in many countries affected by violent conflict. One such country is Sudan, where decades of conflict, coupled with economic downturns, have led to widespread hunger. With a 2021 GHI score of 25.1, Sudan suffers from a serious level of hunger and ranks 95th out of 116 countries. A record 9.8 million people in Sudan—one-fifth of the population analyzed—faced high projected levels of acute food insecurity between June and September 2021 and require urgent assistance. North Darfur is forecast to be the worst-affected area (IPC 2021b).

Operating in Sudan requires a clear understanding of the historical causes of conflict and its drivers, which are complex, politicized, and multi-level, encompassing local, national, regional, and international dimensions at the same time. The country has large numbers of both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees from neighboring countries (IOM and WFP 2021; UNHCR 2021). Tensions over scarce livelihood assets and land have arisen between host communities and displaced persons as well as between pastoralists and farmers, particularly along migratory routes. Droughts, desertification, and floods are contributing to new conflicts in an environment where resources and opportunities are already under stress (OCHA 2020).

It is now widely recognized that there can be no food and nutrition security without peace. To strengthen resilience and achieve food and nutrition security, Welthungerhilfe strives to take a systemic approach to food systems, including in conflict settings such as Sudan. It works along the humanitarian–development– peace-building nexus to provide relief and recovery in the event of acute shocks and stresses while strengthening resilience and livelihoods for host communities, IDPs, and refugees. Placing communities at the center of its work, Welthungerhilfe’s program also supports community-level peace-building initiatives.

North Darfur is the region of focus for Welthungerhilfe’s operations in Sudan, along with the states of Gedaref, Kassala, and Red Sea. Welthungerhilfe addresses the most critical humanitarian needs of host communities, IDPs, and refugees through cash and voucher assistance, protection, shelter, nonfood items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene. It links those interventions with others aimed at improving human security, resilience, food and nutrition security, and livelihoods, as well as contributing to peace building and social cohesion. Activities include farmer and pastoralist field schools and training for women’s groups on food processing, home gardening, healthy nutrition, and income generation. A pilot intervention aimed at improving food and nutrition security and reducing competition over natural resources has led to the introduction of low-space vertical gardening for the production of fodder and vegetables in IDP camps in North Darfur. This program has improved access to nutritious food and created new income opportunities, even when land and water are in short supply, and thus represents a solution adapted to the existing context.

Welthungerhilfe also helps promote peaceful dialogue, coexistence, and reconciliation in North Darfur through community- based resolution mechanisms (CBRMs), which bring together pastoral and farmer communities of diverse ethnicities along migratory routes. CBRMs target youth at risk of becoming engaged in violence, as well as women, whose participation is crucial for mitigating and resolving disputes within and between communities. CBRMs offer workshops on migratory route awareness, rehabilitation of migratory routes, and sensitization of communities. Welthungerhilfe’s project has linked CBRMs with relevant government ministries, legal institutions, the Sudan Humanitarian Aid Commission, and security services, giving rural communities better access to legal avenues of conflict resolution and resources. Nonetheless, the situation remains volatile, with flare-ups of political instability and violence in addition to natural disasters and the pandemic. As recent political developments have destabilized the official judicial system, CBRMs have become more important than ever. Welthungerhilfe seeks to increase the inclusion of youth, women, and marginalized communities in the CBRMs.