September 8(Darfur24) The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program WFP launched a joint program on Wednesday to promote resilience and social cohesion among communities in Darfur.
The four-year program is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the German Development Bank.
According to a joint statement by the two organizations, the unique program aims to provide long-term solutions by addressing the main factors that hinder peace, stability and development for the nearly 300,000 vulnerable Sudanese in South, Central and North Darfur who have been affected by conflict, climate change, natural disasters and economic stagnation.
The program, the first of its kind in Sudan, takes a comprehensive approach that will enable societies to withstand multiple shocks and sow the seeds of peaceful coexistence among various segments of the community .
“The new joint program underscores the German government’s commitment to supporting households and communities affected by multiple disasters, as UNICEF and WFP work together to ensure that people benefit from a comprehensive and integrated set of essential services,” said Hanspeter Schwer, Senior Policy Adviser at the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development.
“By involving communities in developing activities, we also seek to enhance social cohesion,” he said.
“While the German government supports the provision of direct aid to communities, cooperation with the Government of Sudan is still on hold”.
Germany stresses that restoring cooperation, reaching a comprehensive political settlement and restoring a credible transitional period remains urgent, Mr. Schwer added.
The program will be implemented in North Darfur (El Fasher and Tawila), South Darfur (Kass and Belil) and Central Darfur (Zalingi and Mukjar), with the participation of different sectors of the local community including IDPs, returnees and host communities.
Communities in the Darfur region continue to suffer setbacks due to natural disasters such as floods and prolonged droughts, as well as violent conflict.
“This program will change the rules of the game for communities in Darfur,” said Eddie Rao, Director and Country Representative of the World Food Program in Sudan.
“It ensures that vulnerable families do not fall further into hunger and helps them actively engage in overcoming the challenges of building peace and stability in their communities.”
The program seeks to create sustainable food systems, increase communities’ access to basic inclusive and social services, improve community networks to resolve local conflicts and build trust through inclusive social dialogue.