February 26, 2023 (EL-FASHER) – Japan has made a contribution of USD 605,222 to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in Sudan’s project “Emergency Support to IDP Returns in El Fasher Locality, North Darfur State” for a period of one year running from January 2023 to January 2024. The project will benefit some 36,000 returned Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) and host communities in El Fasher Locality, North Darfur State.
El Fasher is one of the localities that host a largest number of IDPs who have been displaced for two decades. Due to the recent political and economic situations of the country, deteriorated security situations, and protracted displacement, the IDPs face precarious living conditions characterized by lack of basic services, lack of security of land tenure, and lack of livelihood options. Deprivation in these basic rights, in turn, worsens the vulnerability of IDPs towards economic crisis and food security.
Through the support of Japan, the project aims to support sustainable IDP returns and ensure human security of both the returned IDPs and host communities through the improvement in basic services and public facilities, securing land rights of returned IDPs and host community members, and ensuring the commitment of relevant actors towards guiding principle for sustainable, voluntary, dignified and safe return of IDP’s. The project also aims to enhance self-reliance of the returned IDPs and host communities, by training youth and women on self-help construction using the environmentally sensitive and affordable Stabilized Soil Blocks (SSB).
His Excellency Mr. Takashi Hattori, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of the Sudan expressed that “It is our honor to continue our work with UN-Habitat Sudan through our project ‘Emergency Support to IDP Returns in El Fasher Locality, North Darfur State’. The Government of Japan has long been a strong advocate of and contributor to improving human security globally. I sincerely hope that this project would contribute to ensuring the human security of both the returned IDPs and host community members, which perfectly aligns with our vision in ensuring sustainable and durable peace.”
Mr. Masayuki Yokota, Head of UN-Habitat Country Programme highlighted the critical challenges in Darfur, where the vulnerability of IDPs are heightened due to the recent political, economic and security situations, requiring urgent attention and practical solutions to build their resilience and to ensure human security. Particularly, a large number of IDPs living in informal settlements around major cities and towns lead to unplanned, rapid urbanization in urban peripheries without adequate basic services and infrastructure, which negatively affect the host communities. Mr. Yokota expressed his gratitude to the Government of Japan for their support to the project that addresses the urgent need to improve the human security situations of IDPs and host communities, and at the same time contributes to the long-germ resilience of returned IDPs and host communities through improved access to livelihood for local youth and women, basic services and land rights.
Japan also provided UN-Habitat Sudan with support for sustainable IDP returns and peaceful coexistence of IDPs and host communities in Eid Elfursan and Alsalam Localities, South Darfur State, and Tawilla Locality, North Darfur State in recent years.
(ST)
