UNICEF Sudan - Key achievements in 2020
Facts and figures
- English
- العربية
The year 2020 marked the advent of the global COVID-19 pandemic, that greatly disrupted delivery of essential services. In Sudan, measures to contain the pandemic resulted into economic hardships, unemployment, movement restrictions, misery, and hopelessness among the communities. The already strained health care system struggled to cope, schools shut down sending millions of children either to the streets or into early marriage. Many of these children will never go back to school, their dreams have been crushed. The sudden shock and the short, medium- and long-term ramifications on the economy, society and most especially children, are still un-folding as new waves of the infection ripple across the globe. Despite the pandemic, UNICEF Sudan continued to deliver and work towards promoting the rights of every child.
The situation
- Humanitarian partners estimate that 12.7 million people (28 per cent of the population) will need humanitarian assistance throughout 2021 – a 37 per cent increase from 2020).
- Approximately 9.6 million people (22 per cent) faced acute levels of food insecurity in 2020.
- Over 60,000 refugees fleeing the recent violence in Ethiopia added to the 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers currently hosted by Sudan.
- Another 2.5 million people are internally displaced in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Our achievements in 2020
EDUCATION
UNICEF supported the government to ensure continuity of learning as well as the safety of children upon school reopening, reaching more than 220,000 students and 3,000 teachers with training on safety.
Notwithstanding school closures, the Ministry of Education, with UNICEF support, continued to support curriculum reform and strengthen the enabling environment for improved governance, especially in the areas of Early Childhood Education (ECE), Girls’ Education and Teacher Training.
CHILD PROTECTION
Sudan joined 17 other successful countries that globally endorsed laws to save girls from female genital mutilation.
Almost 180,000 children in humanitarian situations benefited from psychosocial support. More than 15,500 children registered as unaccompanied or separated were reunified with families and caregivers.
About 175,500 children benefited from Family Child Protection Unit services including Gender Based Violence (GBV) services.
WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH)
Over 860,000 vulnerable people had access to clean and safe water from the new and rehabilitated water facilities, while more than 560,000 vulnerable Sudanese in affected areas had access to improved sanitation through UNICEF's direct support.
UNICEF played a pivotal role in accelerating the implementation of the new national Open Defecation Free (ODF) roadmap by enabling 453 communities become ODF certified, as well as reaching 2.2 million with hygiene promotion messages.
COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT (C4D)
With UNICEF support, over 21 million people enhanced their knowledge on prevention of disease outbreaks and had access to services through innovative forms of communications.
About 1,000,000 people engaged in C4D activities and actions, whilst taking preventative precautions against COVID-19.
Over 800,000 mothers, fathers, adolescents and caregivers’ knowledge on the eight Key Family Care Practices were enhanced through direct interactions with the communities, providing a safe space to express their concerns, ask questions and gain accurate knowledge.
Approximately 4,000 adolescents and youths were engaged to advocate for children’s well-being, development and survival.
HEALTH
Up to 8.2 million under-five children immunized against polio; Over 1.4 million children under-one year immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases including pneumonia; More than 1.2 million children immunized against measles.
Over 3,000 health facilities restored/maintained with UNICEF support for provision of lifesaving health and nutrition services for children during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Delivery of over 10 million doses of anti-malarial medicines and 9.6 million people benefited from the distribution of mosquito nets.
NUTRITION
A total of 3.5 million children under the age of 5 were screened for malnutrition and over 230,500 children with severe acute malnutrition received appropriate treatment.
More than 720,000 pregnant and lactating women received counseling on proper Infant and Young Child feeding (IYCF) practices.
SOCIAL POLICY
During the COVID-19 lockdown, UNICEF in collaboration with WFP and UNHCR, supported the implementation of Ministry of Labour and Social Development (MoLSD) social protection response plan, that focused on supporting food and hygiene needs of vulnerable families. The response reached 570,000 families with food and hygiene assistance and 140,000 families with cash assistance.
UNICEF worked with the MoLSD to develop an innovative ‘cash plus’ programme known as “Maternal and Child Cash Transfers for the first 1,000 Days” where regular cash payments are combined with social and behavioural change communication and complementary services.
LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY
Delivered the largest shipment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) worth over $8 million, benefitting over 62,000 health workers and community health workers fighting COVID-19.
Provided over 700 oxygen concentrators and 20,000 PCR test kits to improve quality of care in COVID-19 treatment facilities and improved laboratory capacities.
Established the COVID-19 call centre at the Federal Ministry of Health that received over 25,000 calls a day during the peak of the outbreak.
Maintained the stocks of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) and vaccines despite the challenges, including COVID-19.
The year 2020 witnessed the government adoption of improved child protection legislations, strategies and policies that support prevention and response to different forms of violence against children, abuse and harmful practices, which were integrated across education, health and social welfare sectors. UNICEF supported the reform agenda across sectors such as Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Social Policy, education, and informed national plans and strategies. The criminalization of FGM/C, harmonizing the definition of the child across laws, and the prohibition of corporal punishments were major achievements for UNICEF and the National Council on Child Welfare advocacy and it reflected the political commitment towards addressing children and women issues in Sudan.