Gamal Nkrumah" id="auth" src="../../standard/nkrumah1.jpg" width="100" height="145" / Down the slippery soap A convergence of interests between Sudanese victims of conflict and humanitarian relief agencies brings into sharp focus the plight of millions in Africa's largest country. Oxfam's Olivia Kalis enlightens Gamal Nkrumah It beggars belief after such a traumatic civil war that soap would emerge this year as the locus of humanitarian relief organisations' healthcare campaigns in Sudan. It is not as if the Sudanese economy has been tumbling steadily sliding down the slippery slope. Economic growth rates in Sudan, due to the commercial exploitation of its oil wealth, have quadrupled in recent years. So what has soap got to do with it? We are in an interregnum where the people of southern Sudan are seeking solutions to their grave problems of underdevelopment, poverty and insecurity. They are circumspect about the future. They are to decide in a referendum scheduled for March 2011 on whether to remain part of Sudan or secede. Whatever they decide, they do not want to take the path to perdition. Conflicts have driven seven million Sudanese from their homes. And, it is partly for this reason that the humanitarian organisations utilise existing social institutions, including indigenous religious bodies to alleviate the suffering of the millions of displaced and homeless Sudanese. The provision of basic needs and vocational training to support livelihoods in the traumatic post-war period remains a priority for humanitarian relief agencies such as Oxfam International. Not only are the practical needs of the displaced people met, but the provision of health education is regarded as prerequisite in the rehabilitation process. It was against this backdrop that in January 2005 the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). The NCP and SPLM continue to implement the CPA through the Sudanese Government of National Unity -- which includes both the NCP and the SPLM. Meanwhile, the Sudanese government signed the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement in 2006 with the Eastern Front opposition coalition. Yet today, in 2009, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan remains as grim as ever. However, despite the short-term gloom, there are a number of reasons to be optimistic. These include a dogged determination of the Sudanese victims of war to survive. Moreover, there is the tireless labour, often working through local Sudanese partner organisations, to strengthen Sudanese civil society organisations and promote the livelihoods of the disadvantaged groups in Sudan who bore the brunt of the conflicts in the country. All parties are convinced that a commitment to peace is prerequisite for the prosperity and development of Sudan. The tentative CPA deal, struck at landmark talks in Kenya and Abuja, Nigeria, bought vital time to stave off what was increasingly looking like the break up of Sudan. An inexorable confrontation between north and south, was exacerbated by the war in Darfur. But what is now happening? Debilitating diseases ravage the inhabitants of the Sudanese countryside who constitute some 85 per cent of the 45 million people of this impoverished war-torn nation. The contrast between the healthcare system in Sudan and that in wealthy, industrially advanced countries is epitomised by the focus in Sudan on malnutrition, hygiene, sanitation and the access to potable water. Basic healthcare structures are lacking and the already stretched Sudanese healthcare system is further burdened by raging conflicts in different parts of the country. These are concerns keenly felt by the numerous humanitarian relief organisations operating in Sudan. It is therefore crucial to ensure that the humanitarian relief agencies' goodwill and much- sought after resources are put to good use. Still, serious questions about how humanitarian relief organisations operate must be asked. Such humanitarian organisations often declare as their stated aim the strengthening of civil society organisations in Sudan. These claims often sound the alarm bells in Khartoum which in turn suspects that the humanitarian relief and development agencies are aiding and abetting opposition groups. With extensive corroborative detail Oxfam International's Sudan Policy Advisor Olivia Kalis assured Al-Ahram Weekly that Oxfam International for one has no intention of interfering in Sudanese domestic political affairs and never had. "Yes we have a one Sudan strategy," Kalis stressed, noting that that does not imply a particular position on the possible secession of southern Sudan. "Let me be clear. We do not want this to get confused with any views in the referendum. This is not a statement relating to our opinion on unity or secession," she hastened to add. "Our approach is looking at Sudan as a whole." Sudan's relations with the West have long been volatile. These already strained relations are now coming under extra strain because of the incrimination of the Sudanese president by the international community -- read Western powers. In March 2009, following the indictment of Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Sudan expelled 13 international agencies and three Sudanese organisations from northern Sudan. The Sudanese office of Oxfam Great Britain (Oxfam GB), was the only one of 13 Oxfam International affiliates to have its licence revoked last March. Oxfam GB happens to be the largest of the Oxfam International affiliates. It was expelled from Darfur, Khartoum and Red Sea State, eastern Sudan. Other Oxfam affiliates such as Intermon Oxfam (Spain), Oxfam Novib (Netherlands), Oxfam America and Oxfam Canada still carry out humanitarian operations throughout Sudan. Personal property was confiscated and the personnel of humanitarian relief organisations were given 24 hours to get out of Darfur. "We never received an official communication on why we were expelled. There was no prior warning of the impending expulsion," Kalis explained. For Khartoum there are obvious dangers for this kind of brinkmanship. President Al-Bashir's indictment by the ICC leaves Khartoum open to the vagaries of international hate politics. The stability of Sudan is at stake. The Sudanese government's decision to expel the humanitarian relief agencies has heightened tensions. And, the expelled humanitarian agencies themselves protest that the war victims are now paying the penalty for the intransigence of the Sudanese authorities. Kalis visited Cairo last week in a desperate attempt to convey to the Egyptian public the gravity of the humanitarian crisis facing Sudanese people in several parts of the sprawling African country -- the continent's largest in geographical area. Conflict and chronic poverty are hampering the development process in southern Sudan that Kalis described as one of the poorest and least developed regions in the world. She gave several graphic examples. "Maternal mortality is the worst in the world," she explained. "A 15-year-old girl has more chance of dying in childbirth than she has of completing her education at that age." The bigger problem is that Oxfam affiliate organisations such as Oxfam GB, Intermon Oxfam, Oxfam America, Oxfam Novib and Oxfam Canada among others have been operating under extremely difficult circumstances even though they have not been expelled. There is a growing need to publicise the vital work that humanitarian relief organisations are doing in Sudan -- including the least developed regions of Darfur, southern Sudan the Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile. "We do not want the international community to be complacent. There is no place for complacency," Kalis told the Weekly. "Time is not on our side," she stressed. "A contingency plan is key." She also noted that the humanitarian situation in the south of the country is fast deteriorating. "The increase of violence is very worrying given the CPA milestones. These are big events as far as Sudan is concerned," speaking about the upcoming 2011 referendum and next year's general elections in Sudan. "According to most accounts the majority of southern Sudanese people believe that secession is the most likely outcome of the referendum. What will be the fallout, the result of such an outcome? We hope that it will not be an escalation of violence," Kalis noted. Her main concern, however, is not the political dynamics but rather the deplorable humanitarian conditions in Sudan. "Oxfam has been in Sudan since 1983, when we responded to the outbreak of war in the south. The following year we expanded operations into the north due to the worsening food crisis. In ensuing years Oxfam has provided humanitarian aid to victims of conflict, drought and floods, as well as long-term development assistance to some of the most vulnerable Sudanese communities," Kalis explained. "Not only did we have a national-heavy structure in Darfur and other parts of northern Sudan but we were keen to work with civil society organisations," Kalis explained. "I just like to flag that of the 400 staff members we had in northern Sudan 380 were Sudanese including many senior staff members." Moreover, Oxfam GB works closely with a number of Sudanese NGOs, including the Sudanese Environmental Conservation Society (SECS), one of the largest Sudanese NGOs, with 100 branches all over the country. SECS focuses on post-war and peace-related concerns -- land use, deforestation and pollution. Oxfam affiliates deem it necessary to collaborate closely with local partners in key development projects. "Since 2003, the crisis in the western Sudanese state of Darfur has been one of the biggest humanitarian emergencies in the world, with over 2.5 million people forced to flee their homes, and nearly five million now reportedly in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance." The deplorable state of water, sanitation and hygiene in Sudan as a whole and Darfur and southern Sudan in particular necessitates urgent action. Relief agencies focus on densely populated areas of Sudan. However, most of the refugee camps are located in drought-prone areas. In Kalma Camp, South Darfur State, some 57,000 displaced people suffer from chronic diarrhoea and occasional outbreaks of cholera because there are only 200 latrines in the entire camp -- one latrine for every 285 people. By comparison, the average in other refugee camps around the world is one latrine to every 20 people. Under such deplorable conditions it is difficult to avert the outbreak of epidemics. Moreover, stagnant water surrounding the camps provides ideal breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. It is for this reason that Oxfam International and its affiliates have embarked on projects ensuring the installation of tap stands and water bladders as well as the systematic chlorinating of jerry cans. "If OXFAM GB's registration is revoked, it will affect more than 600,000 Sudanese people whom we provide with vital humanitarian and development aid, including clean water and sanitation on a daily basis," warned Oxfam International Director Penny Lawrence at the time. In much the same vein, Oxfam America has been scaling down its operations in Darfur, often working through local Darfuri partner organisations. There are a wide variety of humanitarian relief organisations in Sudan that have a direct impact on the civilian population in war-torn regions, but a concerted effort is required to meet the needs of the people of Sudan -- a sprawling multi- ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country. Given the centrality and strength of Islam within Sudanese society, I asked if perhaps the accusation by the Sudanese government that the humanitarian relief organisations expelled were involved in proselytisation. "We do not have a religious mandate," Kalis insisted. "We've been asking for permission to resume operations in Darfur and other parts of northern Sudan to no avail," she added. In this respect, it is interesting to note that humanitarian relief organisations with a faith-based mandate were permitted to stay on in Sudan. Indeed, none of the faith-based organisations were expelled. CAFOD, the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, for instance and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) are two faith-based humanitarian organisations that did not have their licence to operate in Sudan revoked. World Vision, an American-based faith-based organisation still carries out humanitarian projects in Darfur and other parts of predominantly Muslim northern Sudan. Other faith-based organisations still operating freely in northern Sudan include MEDAIR, Tearfund and the Samaritans. The contentious question remains as to why CAFOD, CRS and other humanitarian organisations were permitted to continue operations while Oxfam GB was banned. "What we are concerned with is the results, the impact -- increased insecurity, difficulty in delivering humanitarian assistance and the disruption of development projects and programmes," Kalis said. It is against this background that two critical reports were released concerning the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan -- "USAID: Humanitarian situation in Sudan" and the report of the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) released on 21 October. The USAID report was annotated with a detailed outline of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in both southern Sudan and Darfur. The report is unique in its extraordinary analysis of policy-making and institutions in southern Sudan. Direct confrontations with particulars and detailed source criticism are pervasive. Furthermore, it exposed something of the transcendent quality of recent Sudanese history. It points out that 2009 has been the worst year in terms of violence since the signing of the CPA in 2005. The fatalities were extremely high. Some 2,000 mainly civilians were killed and many more injured in vicious attacks. More than 100 people on average were butchered in each attack. Some 290,000 civilians were displaced by such attacks. Frustration at the lack of peace dividends is fast gaining momentum. Environmental factors complicate matters and exacerbate the humanitarian disaster. The USAID Famine and Early Warning Systems Network and the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation Crop Assessment report confirmed that below normal May-August rains negatively impacted crop performance across southern Sudan. Assessing the general political and ideological environment in the peripheral and traditionally marginalised areas of Sudan -- the south, Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and eastern Sudan among others -- is no easy matter. However, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the lack of peace dividends has caused much bitter disillusion among disgruntled groups and especially among southerners in Sudan. The love of freedom revived and so did the alarm bells of secession. This inherently implausible notion would have been considered absurd, as far as Khartoum is concerned, only a few years ago. Today, it is no longer thought of as bizarre. But, at the same time, much of the Sudanese population believes that there should be an answer to their problems within a unified Sudan. Inter-ethnic violence is rife in southern Sudan, a complicating factor for aid and development workers there. The incursions of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) -- an armed opposition group based in northern Uganda -- accentuate the problem in southern Sudan. Kalis noted with alarm how the LRA attacks on innocent civilians in southern Sudan exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe. She also pointed out that the general climate of instability in neighbouring countries spills over into Sudan. The LRA waged an armed struggle against the Ugandan Army in 1987; the targets of the movement's attacks are now mainly innocent civilians and not just Ugandan, but southern Sudanese. Social injustice and cultural differences between Muslims and non-Muslims play a part in the Sudanese wars. It should be noted, however, that the very notion that the inhabitants of the Sudanese Heartlands are entitled to reduce all the inhabitants of marginal areas to the condition of subjects has become insupportable. There is no doubt that this contempt for non-Muslims and non- Arabs in Sudan is at some level related to the ongoing conflicts in the country. In addition to the above reports, the US Commission on International Freedom (CIF), in its Annual Report 2009, identified Sudan as the world's most violent abuser of the right to freedom of religion or belief. The irony is that a faith-based organisation such as World Vision, a Christian relief, development and advocacy group, operates virtually unhampered in predominantly Muslim northern Sudan. As a record, and a readable narrative of all these changes, the report is impeccable. The United States government, after all, is the single largest bilateral donor to Sudan, having provided some $4.5 billion since 2004. Much of these funds are directly related to humanitarian relief programmes. Poor transportation and communications facilities, the lack of security for humanitarian personnel, both local and international, as well as attacks on relief workers continue to impede humanitarian access in Darfur, and were all identified as serious problems in Sudan. While noting that there are 2.7 million internally displaced persons in southern Sudan, the report also stated that "secondary displacement" has now emerged as a serious problem. Programmes and projects aimed at assisting war-affected communities have been negatively impacted -- some put on hold for the time being. Humanitarian development agencies are unable to reach out to communities affected by war. Overall, the CIF report is a good introduction to the humanitarian crisis gripping Sudan, Africa's largest country and the southern extension of Egypt's own Nile Valley. Conflict, displacement and insecurity have become constant themes in Sudanese history. Oxfam's projects are aimed at the urban and rural poor and the organisation's sphere of activities are not confined to Darfur or to southern Sudan. The scope of its operations span rehabilitation, micro-finance, vocational training and the strengthening of Sudanese civil society. Humanitarian development assistance is not restricted to the direct provision of services for the needy. It aims at active engagement to protect civilians. "Insecurity and targeted attacks on aid workers continue to make headlines." Some projects are controversial -- Oxfam Novib, for instance, supports projects including a campaign against early marriage in northern Sudan and a legal aid clinic for women in southern Sudan. In January Oxfam is launching an in-depth report, the culmination of research in southern Sudan to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the CPA. "The international community is very complacent. It needs to be very engaged to resolve potential problems. The situation is very worrying."
