Limited livelihood options are a major problem for refugees in East Sudan. Many refugees rely on WFP food aid, often with inadequate food rations which continue to be reduced. Thus, refugees require various income avenues to supplement their food needs, therefore creating a great demand for livelihood opportunities amongst the refugees. UNHCR and livelihood partners therefore are seeking to establish the activities that are more likely to be sustainable and viable. It is necessary to include refugees’ livelihood interventions into a wider economic system, which naturally includes host communities.
In 2020, livelihood programmes were scaled down with only SRC continuing to implement various activities, until June. For instance, about 140 refugees attended vocational skills training on perfume making, mobile phone maintenance, basic and advanced cosmetics. In agriculture, some 10 households were supported to access land and were provided with farm tools, while 30 farmers benefitted from livestock extension services. In North Darfur, refugees have access to work in the host communities specifically in agriculture sector.
Due to nature of location, there are very few opportunities for formal employment. Out of 5,000 persons with special needs, 2,215 were supported by UNHCR and partner including through small businesses project and provision of 6 milling machines. Operational partners also provided support to persons with special needs in terms of seeds and agricultural tools to 700 households, lactating cows to 20 persons with special needs, skills to 100 youth and starter up kits. In South Darfur, WVI through multisector intervention to enable self-resilience and protection among 11,713 individual refugees from CAR living in Nyala and Dimso localities. WVS supported the running of 2 community centres in Krakada and Maramoso where 100 households benefited with income generating activity (IGA) support through cash-based intervention (cash assistance) as beneficiaries in forms of skills training on Business creation and IGA management and start up kits support. In Central Darfur, training for 20 youth on vocational training for new settlements refugees was completed. Only 4 men from CAR refugees benefited from the training, while the rest were Chadian refugees. The 20 youth were divided to 4 groups, each group consisting of 5 members, 5 machinery, 5 carpenters, and 5 mechanics.
Provision of start-up charcoal to support 500 new settlement households is in progress, and start-up charcoal for 28 households were received. Provision of training for 5 youth on haircuts / hairdressing and distribution of start-up kits has been completed. Provision of training for 11 persons on local perfumes manufacturing has been completed