SOS Sahel UK in Sudan

SOS Sahel UK has worked in Sudan since 1985. In Red Sea State we support a range of activities to improve the livelihoods of settled Beja families in the Arba’at delta, such as small-scale irrigation and water diversion systems, agricultural producers’ associations, and women’s literacy classes and development centres. In North Kordofan we are working with UNDP to achieve more equitable access to natural resources, such as forests, water, and pasture, by the various groups in the area. We plan to expand this work to South Kordofan at the request of pastoralists who move seasonally between the two states.

More generally, we recognise that Sudan faces immense challenges, particularly in implementing the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The country is a highly complex and sensitive environment in which to work. Our team has built up an excellent reputation, with expertise in conflict prevention and in tackling the underlying causes of poverty. We are now embarking on a fundamental review of our work and its relevance to the challenges facing Sudan, and will be strengthening the capacity of our team still further. To this end we have established a dedicated Sudan fund (click here to find out more) and will be holding a planning workshop in November 2007 to help set the future direction of our work.