Background

As a result of two decades of civil strife and the conflict in Darfur, Sudan faces some serious challenges, such as the internal displacement of a large percentage of its population. With a total of six million displaced men, women and children, Sudan has the largest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world.

In Khartoum state alone, an estimated two million IDPs often face harsh realities. The displaced communities make up almost 40% of the Khartoum state population, living in four official IDP camps and unauthorized squatter areas which have been established since 1991. Many of Khartoum’s IDPs fled the southern part of the country during Africa’s longest civil war. Some of them have more recently fled the conflict in Darfur.

The strenuous socio-economic conditions of IDPs in Khartoum are exasperated by the lack of access to justice. Internally displaced communities have little understanding of human rights and rule of law principles. As poverty and insecurity are often intertwined, law enforcement and rule of law institutions need support to improve the services they provide to vulnerable groups. The signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and the creation of the Interim National Constitution (INC) present unique opportunities for a improved process of social inclusion for IDPs and vulnerable groups.
By capturing the post-conflict peace dividends and redirecting these resources towards a development agenda, UNDP promotes greater safety and access to human rights for vulnerable people such as IDPs. Against this background, the Strengthening Of Human Security for Vulnerable Groups in Khartoum IDP Camps and Squatter Areas project was launched in 2006.

Objectives
To strengthen the immediate human security for IDPs by improving access to justice and the capacity of the government to uphold the core rule of law and human rights principles; and to empower IDPs to access and exercise their legal rights (to make free and informed decisions to stay or to return, and to participate in the decision-making that affects their lives) and their socio-economic rights (access to basic services and employment).

To this end, the specific objectives of the project are:
• Increase awareness of basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, Sudanese domestic laws, the INC, and the CPA amongst government officials and IDP communities;
• Enhance understanding amongst IDP communities of the socio-economic and security situation in the priority areas of return and passage;
• Improve access to justice and redress through the establishment of at least 6 Justice and Confidence Centres, including the establishment of paralegal groups at each target location;
• Strengthen linkages between IDP communities and local authorities through the establishment of rights-based community forums at each target location;
• Introduce community policing in the squatter areas and IDP camps in and around Khartoum and increase understanding of this new concept.

Snapshots of the project's major achievements
• The project provided legal counseling and representation to 569 IDPs and vulnerable groups;
• Helped 3600 individuals to (re)acquire civil documentation, mainly, Assessment of Age Certificates. Adequate civil documentation is an essential pre-requisite to securing rights and entitlements, such as education, employment, healthcare, pensions, secure tenure over land and property, freedom of movement and voting rights;
• Conducted 41 legal rights and remedies workshops involving a total of 1290 participants, including residents of IDP camps and squatter areas, community leaders and CBOs;
• Reached over 29600 individuals through a series of information session activities;
• Completed (constructed and equipped) two community aid posts in the biggest squatter area of Haj Yussuf, where nine communities policing training were conducted; and
• Supported three rounds of police training courses on: community policing; traffic rules; computer skills; crime investigation; and human rights and the rule of law. More than 450 police officers received training on one of these courses.