Despite the bureaucratic hurdles, access denials and restrictions posed on humanitarian movement, Sudan remains one of the most heavily funded humanitarian operations globally.
The money requested to be poured into aid efforts in the country — $1.04 billion in funding under the 2015 consolidated United Nations humanitarian response plan — means a continuous demand for professionals to help frame and assist in program design, coordination and implementation.
Most organizations have country offices in Khartoum, but aid operations are centered in the Darfur region, with some in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, as well as Abyei.
Unlike in the capital, however, life in Darfur can be limiting for international staff. Movement around the town without escort in Nyala town, for example, is discouraged given the threat of abduction by militia groups looking for quick money, and the risk of armed robbery or carjacking looms if traveling to field locations. U.N. staff members are almost always accompanied by armed escorts, either by the U.N.–African Union Mission in Darfur, or police escorts provided by the government of Sudan.
For safety reasons, most aid agencies have their own guesthouses — a compound or building where an organization’s staff members stay throughout their mission, often located within walking distance to an organization’s sub-office.
Some international staff members of U.N. aid agencies choose to stay within UNAMID compounds. Apart from acting as barracks for the military and police personnel contributed by different countries to the peacekeeping mission, the compounds are also meant to be used as locations for U.N. agency offices and residence. International NGO staff — as well as internally displaced people — can also have access inside the compound in case of emergencies.
There are three UNAMID “supercamps” across the Darfur region. Here’s a look at the one in Nyala in South Darfur.
READ: 11 things to know if Sudan is your next duty station
What’s your living situation like in Darfur? Share us your experience below.
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
