Save the Children and its partners in the International Save the Children Alliance have a long history with the people of Sudan, beginning their programs to help Sudanese children nearly 50 years ago. When a severe famine hit southern Sudan in the early 1970s, Save the Children (U.K.) responded with immediate aid for families and set up a refugee camp for those who fled to the north. The outbreak of civil war in 1983 led Save Children Alliance members to expand their programs throughout the south in order to meet the health and nutrition needs of children while government services were not available. The Ethiopian famine of 1985-1986 caused thousands of Ethiopian refugees to cross the border into Sudan, and again, Save the Children (U.S.) responded with emergency aid for the displaced people.

In addition to emergency response, members of the Save the Children Alliance have been actively working with Sudanese communities to reach self-sufficiency. These programs have included training community health workers, education projects, and rehabilitation of water and sanitation systems.

The current situation in Sudan has been exacerbated by a recent increase in violence as cease-fire negotiations between the government and rebel opposition deteriorated. Save the Children Alliance members are implementing a variety of activities to assist the war-affected populations in the south and the south central regions of the country, including:

• distributing emergency food rations
• distributing seeds, tools and other basic survival items for resettlement
• providing experts to the UN World Food Program to plan how to get food to those who need it most
• providing high energy biscuits for children at risk and supplemental feeding of malnourished children
• training of community health workers and provision of health education
• rehabilitating water and sanitation systems
• replacing livestock lost due to war and drought
• providing logistical support for large-scale immunization campaigns
• rehabilitating and reintegrating child soldiers and implementing youth education programs
• promoting community management of education and psycho-social programs

In the coming months, the Save the Children Alliance members hope to be able to expand their activities to include larger numbers of war-affected civilians, including those who are expected to move north to the transitional zone in search of food and security to escape violence and famine further south. The Alliance also plans to implement additional activities in health and primary education (schools for the displaced) and develop programs to strengthen local organizations who are working to assist communities affected by the war to successfully move from total dependence on relief aid to self-sufficiency.

Taken together, the members of the International Save the Children Alliance comprise the world’s largest child assistance program serving over 100 nations. The Alliance is made up of twenty-five independent Save the Children member organizations working in partnership.

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