UNHCR in SUDAN ENGAGES IN COVID-19 PREVENTION AND RESPONSE: To protect refugees and IDPs as well as their hosts in Sudan from COVID-19, UNHCR and partners have rolled out a massive prevention, preparedness and response programme. The Agency joined WHO and UNICEF in spreading risk awareness by translating posters in refugee languages, by briefing volunteers and IDP leaders, tens of thousands of text messages sent to urban refugees in Khartoum. In addition, in recent weeks, UNHCR delivered 1 million bars of soap to IDPs, refugees and their most vulnerable Sudanese neighbours. The Agency also established a surveillance system in refugee camps for immediate isolation of potential cases, reporting to the health authorities and subsequent testing. According to the results, so far the virus which is spreading fast in the country has not infected any refugee.

UNHCR and the Government's Commission for Refugees (COR)’s joint protection monitoring have identified significant protection issues involving the assault of refugees by host community members in Al Lait locality, including the killing of a refugee man over a dispute, physical assault of a refugee minor and two refugee men and one reported sexual assault of a refugee woman.

UNHCR and the Government of Sudan’s Commission for Refugees (COR) completed the distribution of an NFI package of blankets and plastic sheeting to over 10,000 households across ‘open area’ settlements, including 8,541 refugee households (benefiting 57,346 refugees) and 1,496 of the most vulnerable host community households adjacent to settlement areas. The package will provide interim shelter assistance while inter-agency partners develop a more sustainable shelter response.

UNHCR TO PROVIDE PLASTIC SHEETING AND OTHER NON-FOOD ITEMS (NFIs) FOLLOWING FLASH FLOODING IN EL NUHUD, WEST KORDOFAN - Flash flooding caused injuries and destroyed homes, public buildings and shops in El Nuhud locality, where nearly 4,000 South Sudanese refugees live. UNHCR and the Commission for Refugees (COR) conducted an initial rapid needs assessment on 24 July. UNHCR will provide 3,000 NFI kits to locality residents, including plastic sheeting. The local primary school attended by both refugees and host communities was also affected, with damaged latrines and fencing. OCHA led an inter-agency needs assessment for areas affected by flash flooding on 30 July.

UNHCR TO COVER DRUGS GAPS IN REFUGEE CAMPS AND EL LERI SETTLEMENT TO THE END OF 2019; ADDITIONAL FUNDING STILL NEEDED – UNHCR is procuring essential drugs to address supply gaps in health clinics in refugee camps in White Nile and East Darfur States, and for the El Leri settlements in South Kordofan State. The procurement will cover essential drugs supply needs for one year, with an additional four months’ supply allocated as contingency stock. Funding is urgently needed to cover drugs supply gaps in other out-of-camp refugee settlements in all States across the response.