The way forward: Sudanese helping Sudanese
NEWS STORY: Hege Opseth/ACT-Caritas
PUBLISHED: July 18, 2005
BILEL CAMP, SOUTH DARFUR, SUDAN -- In a unique ceremony on Saturday, July 16, the Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO) -- a local NGO and long-time implementer on behalf of ACT International and Caritas Internationals -- took over the running of Bilel Camp near Nyala in Darfur.
The ACT-Caritas Darfur Emergency Response Operation -- a joint response by the two faith-based networks -- took the opportunity to congratulate SUDO staff at being awarded the responsibility for camp management of Bilel. ACT-Caritas is responding to the crisis in Darfur with a multi-million dollar operation that is assisting hundreds of thousands of displaced people who live mainly in temporary camps throughout South and West Darfur. The significance of Saturday's ceremony was that it can be seen as a precursor to a major change in how the war-affected people are assisted, as ACT-Caritas intends that when the conflict in the region is resolved, "ownership" of its entire operation will be transferred to Sudanese-run organisations.
At Saturday's ceremony, camp residents urged the new management to improve health facilities and food security in the camp.
Some 17,000 people live in Bilel, which hugs the outskirts of Kalma Camp, the world's biggest IDP camp. The majority of the residents are Dinka people from South Sudan. In the 80s, they fled the fighting in the south, only to find themselves being driven from their land a second time when the conflict in Darfur escalated. "We have also seen an increase in new arrivals the last month," said ACT-Caritas acting director Mayen Wol Jong.
Humanitarian Aid Commission of Sudan (HAC) representative, Shaef El Nur, cut the ribbon across the entrance gate to the camp and declared the new camp management office officially opened. "The efforts and cooperation we see here is a symbol of peace," he said.
The sheiks addressed the gathering, saying that flies were a major problem in the camp, causing illnesses, especially amongst children. "We need better health facilities while waiting for our return to Bahr el Ghazal in the south. We all wish to return home," they stressed.
The regional manager of SUDO, Bushra Gamar, responded by saying that camp management is just a contribution to assist the IDPs. "I will come back myself to sit down with the you to discuss how we best coordinate our efforts in the camp, but I can promise you that already next week I will send qualified staff to rid the camp of the problem of flies" he said.
For ACT-Caritas, the ceremony of this weekend marked more than a year of delivering aid to the camp. "A community is run by its members," said Per Nordmark, who is the special advisor for partner support within the ACT-Caritas operation. "Camp management is a big responsibility, but SUDO is fully capable of this enormous task. What we see in Bilel is a grand example of the work the Sudanese themselves are doing to care for their nationals, who have been victimised by the conflict in Darfur," he said.
In a unique ceremony on Saturday, July 16, the Sudanese Development Organisation (SUDO) -- a local NGO and long-time implementer on behalf of ACT International and Caritas Internationals -- took over the running of Belil Camp near Nyala in Darfur.
Latest news
- Darfur Must Not Become a Forgotten Emergency
- A Flying Visit
- Sleeping Tight in Safe Haven
- ACT-Caritas prepare for the coming rains
- Determined to learn
