NRC HUMANITARIAN

SNAPHSHOT
N January 2024

Post-conflict Emergency Response

Al Jazira State to White Nile (Dec 2023-Jan 2024)

BACKGROUND
THE RAPID RESPONSE
On December 15 2023, the conflict spread to Al Jazira
MECHANISM
• The assessment was
state, thus marking a significant turning point into the war
conducted between the
and creating a major humanitarian emergency. Al Jazira
27th and 28th of
was Sudan’s breadbasket and a state hosting one the
December 2023 in the
largest number of people displaced from Khartoum before
gathering sites in Kosti
December.
and Rabak.
This escalation triggered an unprecedented displacement
• At the time of the
crisis, with IOM DTM estimating that 509,800 people were
assessment, about 700
displaced in the span of three weeks. For half of them, this
households had sought
was the second time they had been forced to flee in the past
refuge in the gathering
eight months.
sites in White Nile and
Numerous ground reports depicted a state of widespread
NRC interviewed 83
panic and mass exodus following the capture of Wad
households.
Madani, with people sometimes fleeing on foot to escape
• Based on the
the conflict. Reports also highlighted restrictions on the
assessment findings, a
freedom of movement for those attempting to flee imposed
response plan was
by the RSF.
devised.
Displaced households sought refuge in White Nile state
• As of January 26, NRC
through Sennar state. Within the state, families fleeing were
supported 3,384
also seen transiting across the border to South Sudan
displaced individuals in
through the Renk border crossing point. As of January 8,
Kosti and Rabak
IOM estimated that 40,750 IDPs had found refuge in White
gathering sites with Non-
Nile. While some of the displaced joined the old gathering
Food Item (NFIs)
sites, 15 new gathering sites were created in Kosti and 11
in Rabak to also accommodate the new influx

This snapshot offers an overview of the IDP situation in White

Nile and the emergency response conducted by the Norwegian
Refugee Council (NRC) as part of the Rapid Response
Mechanism (RRM) supported by the European Union.

Source: OCHA
 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS (As of January 2nd 2023 )
Most of the population interviewed were displaced for a second time since they had to flee Khartoum
earlier this year. Somehow the families had established a sense of safety in Al Jazira state and the
spreading of the conflict largely impacted their recovery efforts. Their priority needs included nutrition
(67 per cent of the respondents), followed by food (66 per cent respondents), multi-purpose cash
assistance (50 per cent) and health (20 per cent). Almost all (81 per cent) reported not able to meet
their needs. Cash was the most preferred transfer modality, both because they wanted to decide by
themselves how to spend it, and because they considered moving onward.

Food security. 72 per cent of the households reported facing difficulties in accessing food,
particularly because of a lack of financial resources (84 per cent). Communal cooking was observed
at all gathering sites, with residents sharing the limited food supplies available. Approximately 20 per
cent of the respondents indicated that they were buying their own food, whilst about 28 per cent
relied on donations from the host community and well-wishers. About 48 per cent had a poor food
consumption score, and all indicators pointed to a high level of food insecurity that needs to be
addressed urgently.

Shelter/Non-Food Items. A lack of shelter was reported by 35

per cent of the respondents. Direct observation showed that
most IDP families were accommodated in overcrowded
schools, in makeshift shelters made of tarpaulins whilst
others were staying in classrooms. There was a huge gap in
NFIs, with only 24 per cent having access to water containers,
21 per cent access to blanket, 20 per cent access to sleeping
mats, 18 access to mosquito nets and 16 per cent access to
kitchen utensils

Water, Sanitation, Hygiene. Respondents noted that tap

Makeshift shelter in the reception center in Kosti water was the main source for 82 per cent of the population,
©Mohammed Hany/NRC primarily because they were staying in schools equipped with
tap water, the rest used water from the river/streams, hand
pumps or dug wells. Almost all had access to latrines and sanitation facilities in the gathering sites,
however there was a gap in cleaning materials, and it was clear some of the latrines required
rehabilitation and desludging. More than half of the families interviewed indicated having access to
solid waste disposal facilities.

Protection. Eleven per cent of the respondent cited concerns of attack. Sexual violence or abuse
within households was reported by 14 per cent, indicating a distressing issue within the community's
private spaces. Almost half of the respondents (49 per cent) express a lack of safe places within the
community, highlighting a critical need for improved security infrastructure.
Regarding legal documentation, 65 per cent of the participants indicated that their family members
had lost legal documentation, such as national IDs,
birth certificates, passport, marriage certificates, family
book and death certificates. This could further
jeopardize people’s ability to move freely or access
services.

Comprehensive assessment available here:

https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/nrc-rapid-needs-
assessment-white-nile-state-al-jazirah-conflict-
december-2023
Registration of newly arrived IDPs in White Nile
© Mohamed Hany /NRC
 NRC RESPONSE

Thanks to the generous support of the

European Union, NRC dispatched an
emergency team to White Nile in the
immediate aftermath of the displacement.
.
Thanks to the support of the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), NRC
supported 3,384 displaced individuals in Kosti
and Rabak gathering sites with Non-Food Item
(NFIs)

Recommendations to the humanitarian community

• Scale up the humanitarian response and allocate additional resources to meet the
minimum humanitarian standards and address the extent of needs of the newly
displaced from Al Jazira state, as well as more protracted caseload;

o In particular, provide nutrition services in view of the food consumption

score and high level of copy strategies. The use of multi-purpose cash
assistance can be an option, after cash feasiblity and market
assessments.

o Housing solutions beyond NFIs need to be considered, including for IDPs

residing in host communities

• Advocate towards local and federal authorities for emergency exemptions, which
would allow the fast-tracking or lifting of bureaucratic and administrative processes
(such as travel permits) in the first month of a large scale crisis for livesaving
assistance;

• Advocate for the protection of local responders and mutual aid networks that are
on the forefront of the response.

The European Union funds the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) in Sudan.
The RRM is led by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC).
The content of this publication only represents the view of NRC.