Casualties

Casualties in 2009

In 2009, Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor identified 78 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties in Sudan. The vast majority of casualties (61 or 78%) were male. At least 43 were children (68% of the 63 casualties for which the age was known) and most of these (34) were boys.[1] Most casualties (59 or 75%) were civilians and just four casualties were known to be military officials.[2] Full information on the type of explosive device which caused casualties in 2009 was not available; only casualties caused by cluster submunitions were identified. However, according to an analysis done by the UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO), 45% of all casualties occurring in Sudan between 2003 and November 2009 were caused by antipersonnel mines, 27% by antivehicle mines, and 28% by ERW.[3]

The 78 casualties reported in 2009 constituted an increase from the 65 reported in 2008 but still represented a decrease when compared with other recent years.[4] This increase was attributed to improvements in data collection and verification in 2009 in the Darfur region, where 40 of the 78 casualties occurred.[5]

There were a total of 4,283 casualties (1,422 killed and 2,861 injured) recorded by UNMAO for the period from 1964 to the end of 2009. Of these casualties, 80% were male and 23% were children.[6] This included 104 casualties (37 killed and 67 injured) identified by the Sudan Landmine Impact Study (LIS) as having occurred within the two years preceding the survey.[7] At least 41 casualties of cluster munition remnants had been identified through July 2009. In addition, 16 casualties which occurred during the use of cluster munitions were reported.[8]

Victim Assistance

There were at least 2,861 mine/ERW survivors in Sudan at the end of 2009.[9]

In 2009, Sudan recognized the lack of sufficient data on landmine survivors in some mine/ERW affected areas as “one of the most pressing challenges” facing victim assistance provision.[10] No national survivor needs assessment was carried out in 2009, but casualty data collection was carried out in the states of Blue Nile, Central Equatoria, Kassala, Khartoum, Southern Kordofan, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Upper Nile.[11] The LIS, completed in 2009, collected recent casualty data in the 16 most mine/ERW-affected states and surveyed survivors as to whether or not they had received emergency medical care, physical rehabilitation, and/or vocational training.[12]  Casualty and victim assistance beneficiary data was managed by UNMAO and shared amongst all mine action partners, including government ministries and NGOs.[13]

Victim assistance coordination[14]

In 2009, Sudan’s two regional Victim Assistance Working Groups continued to convene increasing numbers of government, NGO, and UN victim assistance stakeholders in monthly coordination meetings.[15] Just one national victim assistance coordination meeting was held to revise, update, and extend the National Victim Assistance Work Plan and to discuss collaboration between the two regional working groups.[16] Coordination was believed to have improved information sharing, helped identify victim assistance needs and priorities, and be effective at the regional but not at the national level.[17]

In northern Sudan, by 2009, the National Mine Action Center (NMAC) had assumed full responsibility for victim assistance coordination with little technical support needed from UNMAO, and had improved its role in monitoring victim assistance project implementation. In Southern Sudan, the Ministry of Gender, Social Welfare, and Religious Affairs (MoGSWRA) appointed a senior staff person as victim assistance focal point in February 2009 who was increasingly engaged in victim assistance coordination throughout the year.[18]

Sudan provided updates on progress and challenges for victim assistance at the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in November–December 2009 and at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration in June 2010.[19]

Survivors’ associations and disabled people’s organizations were represented at the meetings of the victim assistance working groups,[20] though some felt they were not included in decision-making processes.[21] Survivors contributed to the implementation of the national victim assistance plan through NGO activities.[22]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities in 2009[23]

In 2009, there was an increase in victim assistance services available in Southern Sudan, particularly in the area of physical rehabilitation, though this was somewhat offset by the worsening security situation in the region that prevented accessibility to these services.[24] In northern Sudan, a significant decrease in the Ministry of Finance’s budget allocation for the NAPO reduced the availability of physical rehabilitation and psychological support services and increased waiting periods to up to four to six months for rehabilitative care.[25] The difficult security situation in Southern Sudan prevented expansion of a medical care program to new geographic areas.[26]

There was an increased focus on psychological support to mine/ERW survivors and all UNMAO-supported victim assistance projects included a psychological support component. However, the services available were very limited and varied in quality and quantity. Psychological support was still the greatest gap within the overall victim assistance program.[27]

The quality of economic inclusion programs improved in 2009 with an increased focus on providing survivors with adequate training.[28] However, the existing number of actors providing economic inclusion services was insufficient to address the overall demand.[29] None of the 67 survivors identified as part of the LIS had received assistance with economic inclusion.[30]

In Sudan, the rights of persons with disabilities were guaranteed by law, but this was not implemented sufficiently to prevent discrimination.[31] There were no laws or policies that ensured access by persons with disabilities to buildings and public spaces.[32]

Sudan ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 24 April 2009. In 2009, the Ministry of Social Welfare led efforts to develop a national implementation plan for the convention, efforts which included disability organizations and other relevant government ministries.[33]