http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/971/fe1.htm
5 - 11 November 2009
Issue No. 971
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875
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
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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?
Click to view caption
Oxfam International raises awareness of poverty, speaks out on behalf of
disadvantaged communities, promotes social justice and responds to emergencies
such as the hygiene campaign launched in Sudan
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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."
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