SARHO and the Civil Administration in East Darfur discuss challenges of humanitarian work

The Executive Director of the Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations (SARHO), Abdulrahman Ahmed Ismail, met with the Head of the Civil Administration in East Darfur, Mohamed Idris Khater, in Ed-Daein. The meeting aimed to enhance humanitarian coordination and joint efforts to support those affected by the war.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed mechanisms for assessing the needs on the ground and ways to develop the partnership between the Agency and the Civil Administration. In addition, the meeting emphasized the importance of humanitarian advocacy in light of the multiplying challenges facing humanitarian action in the state.

Ismail provided an update on the field visits the Agency is currently conducting, emphasizing that their goal is to strengthen the strategic partnership with the Civil Administration as well as the national and international organizations, in an effort to contribute to bridging the gap between humanitarian needs and current interventions.

For his part, Khater reviewed the most prominent challenges facing humanitarian action in East Darfur, stressing the need to improve coordination between active parties and declaring the Civil Administration’s readiness to fully cooperate to address shortcomings.

He pointed to the complexity of the situation on the ground, especially with the presence of four new camps for displaced persons and the use of approximately (30 schools) as shelters, which -naturally- necessities the development of an effective mechanism to address these developments.

The Agency’s Executive Director emphasized the importance of establishing a joint mechanism between the Agency, the Civil Administration, and humanitarian organizations in order to conduct accurate field surveys approved by donors. He noted that the lack of funding and the suspension of cooperation agreements pose a significant challenge in light of the current political vacuum.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ismail called for the inclusion of humanitarian messages within the framework of the Civil Administration to ensure the sustainability of the humanitarian response in East Darfur state.