Sudan
Sudan is the largest country in Africa, and has a 400-mile coastline on the Red Sea. Conflict and famine have frequently hampered development. Droughts (like the devastating one in 1995) contribute to desertification especially in areas where Plan Sudan works in White Nile State. This is making it increasingly difficult for farmers to grow as much food.
Sudan has been enduring a civil war between the government in the North and the rebels in the South for more than two decades. The peace deal signed in January 2005 between the rebels and the government were significant but have been overshadowed by the conflict in the western region of Darfur. Pro-government Arab militias continue to carry out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arab groups in the region.
As a result of conflict, at least 80,000 people have died and 1.9 million have been internally displaced. Some 1.8 million children have been affected, many displaced several times due to repeat attacks. The United Nations has described the situation as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
In May 2006 the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution to place UN and African Union peacekeeping forces in Darfur. So far this crisis has not affected the Plan programmes areas in Eastern and Central Sudan. However Plan Sudan is working with other organisations in Darfur to implement an emergency humanitarian support programme to provide education and basic services for the thousands of homeless refugee children, women and men.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in Sudan
- One in every eight children dies before reaching the age of five
- Around one in five children under five are underweight for their age due to poor nutrition
- Less than half of children attend primary school
- 75% of the rural population does not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
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