OCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Published purpose

March 2011 - Sudan continues to face many grave humanitarian challenges. In the north, the conflict in Darfur continues, with the levels of violence and insecurity, once again, increasing. This has led to the new or continued displacement of nearly two million people, leaving them reliant on outside assistance for food and other basic, life-saving services. In the south, the recent referendum decision to secede from the north (January 2011) has brought new challenges to a region already devastated by decades of civil war and beset by inter-tribal violence and chronic natural disasters (drought, flooding). Hundreds of thousands of southerners have now decided to return to a homeland that lacks even the most basic infrastructure in many areas, overwhelming local capacity to feed, shelter, and provide basic services to the population. CIDA's support of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is helping to provide overall coordination to the massive international humanitarian effort in both north and south Sudan. Through its efforts, OCHA helps to ensure timely and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance, avoid duplication of services amongst the hundreds of agencies working in Sudan, and advocate for the safety and security of humanitarian workers with the local governments and other groups.