Introduction:

This project to support emergency rooms for women is a dedicated program aimed at assisting women affected by war in Sudan’s Khartoum State, meeting their basic needs in health, nutrition, and protection. It allocates a fixed financial amount for referring women in urgent and emergency situations, along with providing psychosocial support services through accompanying activities. It also includes providing safe spaces for women and children to create a humane social interaction and a breathing space amidst the bleakness of war. The project also involves providing food services through supporting neighborhood kitchens on a daily and continuous basis. Lastly, a special portion has been allocated for women and girl volunteers in female emergency rooms to support them, facilitate their work, and show appreciation for their tremendous efforts.

Executive Summary

To support volunteers and vulnerable populations, yielding impactful results across various sectors. Notably, 70 volunteers received direct financial support, significantly enhancing their access to essential services and improving their performance. Two training workshops equipped 72 individuals with crucial skills in legal aid and project management, contributing to personal and professional development despite challenges in online delivery. Referral services played a vital role in providing aid to over 50 women in extreme need, highlighting the importance of emergency assistance during crises. Neighborhood kitchens and safe spaces provided essential relief and support to hundreds of individuals, addressing food insecurity and psychosocial needs. Additionally, medical assistance addressed critical health needs for women across localities. These initiatives underscore a commitment to empowering communities and fostering resilience amidst adversity.

Impact

The humanitarian efforts of ERR have directly improved the lives of countless individuals. Financial support provided to 70 volunteers significantly enhanced their access to essential services, while training workshops equipped 72 individuals with crucial skills in legal aid and project management. Referral services played a vital role in aiding over 50 women in extreme need, highlighting the importance of emergency assistance during crises. Neighborhood kitchens and safe spaces offered comfort and support to women and children, while critical medical supplies ensured the health and well-being of many across localities.

• Financial support provided to 70 volunteers, enhancing their access to essential services.
• 72 individuals trained in legal aid and project management, empowering them to navigate challenges and pursue opportunities.
• Over 50 women aided through referral services, highlighting the importance of emergency assistance during crises.
• Empowerment workshops equipped 55 women with essential skills, contributing to personal and professional development.
• Neighborhood kitchens and safe spaces provided support to hundreds, addressing food insecurity and psycho-social needs.

More specifics in different localities have yielded significant outcomes:

• Khartoum ERR: Protection program executed reaching 1585 beneficiaries directly. and completed within 49 days.
• Bahri ERR: Food and protection program executed, reaching 7629 beneficiaries directly out of 11629 total beneficiaries. Completed in 80 days
• East Nile ERR: Food and protection program completed in 85 days, reaching 5043 beneficiaries directly out of 8478 total beneficiaries.
• Ombada ERR: Food and protection program completed in 83 days, reaching 5100 beneficiaries directly out of 12600 total beneficiaries.

Key Activities

1. Support for neighborhood kitchens.
2. Support for women’s needs/safe spaces for women and children.
3. Referral cases (childbirth cases/sexual violence cases/medical cases).
4. Direct support for volunteers.
5. Training.

Distribution in localities varies according to the needs in each locality, except for Khartoum locality, which only has women’s needs.

Implementation Level of Activities:

Women’s needs: Medical needs were provided for women in Khartoum, East Nile, and Bahri localities by providing life-saving medications, vitamins, maternal and infant supplies, delivery supplies, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, sanitary pads, and sometimes the costs of tests and surgeries.

Direct support for volunteers: 70 volunteers were supported with a total of $200 each, with 10 volunteers in each locality. This had a significant impact on improving their access to internet services, transportation, facilitating movement, communication, and enhancing their performance more effectively.

Training:

Two training workshops were conducted,

• Legal aid for 32 volunteers (25 females/7 males)
• project management and planning for 40 volunteers (30 females/10 males).

These training workshops contributed to building and enhancing the capabilities and acquiring new important skills in life and work. Due to the difficulty of conducting online courses (Google Meet/Whats App/Telegram) and the intermittent internet and electricity services, training materials were shared with volunteers, and audio recordings were provided for them to access knowledge at any available time.

Referral Cases:

The referral services program is one of the most essential services in this project, as it plays a crucial role in saving lives and providing necessary support to women, girls, and children in extreme need, providing protection in times of crisis and hardship. Aid was provided to more than 50 women in need of protection, medication, or evacuation within Khartoum State. The average age for women was between 18-45, while for children it was between 17-10. Therefore, women’s emergency rooms are essential to include referral services in future projects and to consolidate their impact in assisting women during emergencies.

Safe spaces for women and children/women’s needs:

A safe space activity was implemented in Jabal Awlia locality, where approximately 30 girls and 20 boys, along with 15-20 women, were accommodated daily. The safe space provides relief for children to play, interact positively, and communicate with each other, in addition to providing simple educational activities to fill the gap caused by their absence from school. Quick meals are also provided for children. It also provides an opportunity for women and girls to meet, converse, relax, support each other psychologically, and feel solidarity.

receive 300 families offering traditional Sudanese meals, which is almost half the targeted number. This was due to the intensive return of Khartoum residents from other states to their homes, resulting in an increase in the number of people relying on neighborhood kitchens daily due to general economic problems caused by the war. Sometimes, families return home empty-handed without receiving food, unfortunately. Shagla: Food was provided daily for approximately 200-210 people for only two weeks. Sometimes, the quantity of meals provided was insufficient for all neighborhood residents due to the high number of people returning to Khartoum State and the scarcity of resources.

Challenges

• The unexpected increase in the number of project beneficiaries led to a shortage of available resources, depleting them faster than anticipated.
• After the attack on Jazeera State and the civilian strike, Khartoum became besieged, making it difficult to provide supplies, resulting in the near cessation of projects.
• Complex security disruptions and constant changes made movement difficult for volunteers and beneficiaries of the program (difficulty in providing food supplies and transportation).
• The almost constant interruptions and fluctuations in electricity and internet services (difficulty in accessing reports and communication).
• Some localities in Khartoum State were unable to raise their needs due to fluctuating internet networks in those areas more than other localities in the state.

Lesson learned 

• Traditional Sudanese meals such as KISRA, GURASA and ASIDA are less expensive than Beans, lentils and have all the primary elements of a healthy diet and we highly recommend it. 
• Due to the reverse displacement of Khartoum State residents and their direct dependence on the services of the state’s emergency rooms, we strongly recommend increasing the support provided or providing additional support to meet the urgent need and provide the required assistance as quickly as possible.
• Based on the experience provided by the project and relying on the facts on the ground with volunteers and beneficiaries, we strongly recommend including referral programs in future projects due to the urgent need for these services. Additionally, it is essential to provide food services through supporting neighborhood kitchens as they are the sole source of food for many individuals and families within Khartoum State.
• We recommend providing internet lines connected to satellites in future projects to avoid the barrier of network disruptions and ensure the provision of humanitarian needs.