Best
Opportunity in a Generation to Achieve MDGs in Sudan, Says New Report
Khartoum,
26 October 2010 – Sudan’s progress towards achieving
the globally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has been stalled
due to the detrimental effects of past and continuing armed conflict in
parts of the country. Significant financial and human resources needed
to support government authority have caused a reduction or suspension
of expenditure increases on essential or basic services to people.
Today,
with the three peace agreements and the ongoing efforts to reach a lasting
and comprehensive peaceful settlement in Darfur, Sudan has its greatest
opportunity in a generation to consolidate and sustain peace and improve
the lives of all Sudanese and make progress towards achieving the MDGs.
These are some of the findings of the second Sudan Millennium Development
Report, released here today. The Report that was tabled at the recent
Millennium Summit in New York has been prepared by the National Population
Council (NPC), with support of the United Nations development agencies
based in Sudan. The project for the preparation of the national MDG report
was led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“We in the Ministry of Welfare & Social Security has emphasized
and advocate for the incorporation of the MDGs targets and indicators
in the Sudan’s Five Year Strategic Plan 2011-2016 which is currently
under preparation” announced H.E. Minister of Welfare &
Social Security Mrs. Amira El-Fadil today in the launch of the Sudan 2010
MDGs Progress Report.
One of the key recommendations of the Report for enhancing time-bound
progress in order to achieve the MDGs in the five years remaining to 2015
is the need for effective and efficient holistic interventions to address
the challenges identified in the Report in the way of achieving each of
the MDGs. The Report calls for according high national attention to strengthening
statistical capacity to furnish reliable and accurate data that enable
monitoring, tracking and evaluation of performance regarding the MDGs
and in respect of other pivotal socio-economic development domains.
The
MDGs are reflected in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) as a prerequisite
to achieving stability in Sudan, and in the Sudan’s Constitution.
Reliable data on the current state of socio-economic development in Sudan
that are disaggregated by region, gender, income, and comparable data
over time and with other states and regions is patchy and hard to obtain.
This
Report assesses the progress made in Sudan towards achieving the MDGs
and uses data from the most recent national census (2008), National Baseline
Household surveys (2009) as well as the State Household Survey 2006. The
Report reveals that economic growth in Sudan has not been broad-based,
with investments and services concentrated in and around Khartoum state
and to a lesser extent in Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan.
UNDP Sudan Country Director addressed the audiences in the launch and
emphasized on the strong partnership with the government; and explained
that achieving MDGs in Sudan is possible if the challenges highlighted
in the report been dealt with as opportunities for progress remain still.
“UNDP and other sister UN agencies consider MDGs as an strategic
aspect of intervention which goes beyond preparing this report to other
important aspects such as capacity building and localization of MDGs in
Sudan”; emphasized Mr. Claudio Caldarone, the UNDP Sudan Country
Director.
The
report reveals examples of progress that can be seen in the Gross Enrolment
Rate in basic education which increased from 65% in 2004 to 71% in 2009
in North Sudan. Literacy rate for 15-24 years old persons increased from
27% in 1990 to 69% in 2009 and to 72.5% in 2010. Furthermore; the incidence
and death rates associated with malaria also declined significantly: reported
malaria cases declined from 7.5 million in 2001 to 3.1 million in 2009
and deaths from malaria declined from 35,000 in 2001 to 8,840 in 2009.
Cellular subscribers per 100 populations increased from 9 in 2005 to 28
in 2009. Internet users per 100 populations increased from 8.2 in 2009
to 10.4 in 2010.
The Report reveals that poverty in Southern Sudan is widespread; approximately
half of the population (50.6%) lives on less than the official poverty
line. The poverty headcount ratio in rural areas (55.4%) is double the
ratio in urban areas (24.4%). Poverty rates vary significantly between
states – from three in four people in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state
(75.6%) to only one in four people in Upper Nile state (25.7%).
Across the Northern states, the level of food deprivation varies significantly.
It registered 44% in the Red Sea, 15% in the Gazira and River Nile. The
survey shows that food deprivation is higher in female-headed household
(37%) than in male headed households (31%), due an average to better access
of male-headed households to education and income. Also the survey shows
that the rate of food deprived differs according to household size, ranging
from 5% for households of one or two members to 49% for households with
more than 9 members.
The nutrition situation in Sudan is poor, characterized by high levels
of underweight and chronic malnutrition, as well as persistently elevated
levels of acute malnutrition. Nationally, one third (31%) of children
under the age of five years in Sudan is moderately or severely underweight.
Almost one third of children (32.5%) suffer from moderate or severe chronic
malnutrition, underlining the long term and prevalent under nutrition
and morbidity throughout the country. Nationally, the level of global
acute malnutrition is just below internationally recognized standards
for indicating a nutrition emergency. These figures vary significantly
between states.
The significant development disparities between urban and rural areas
and between regions have contributed to growing inequalities in the country.
This state of affairs has aggravated migration from rural to urban centers
that is believed to have weakened agricultural productivity and deepened
poverty in both urban and rural areas, notes the report.
While the overall per capita income of the Sudan increased from US$ 777
in 2004 to US$ 1,454 in 2009, the distribution of the income reflects
regional disparities and imbalanced growth among the states due to conflict
in areas such as Darfur. The services that could be negatively affected
could include education, health, clean drinking water, electricity supply,
infrastructure, deteriorating environment and employment opportunities.
Sudan has launched a Five-Year Development Plan within a 25 years strategy
(2007-2031). The Government of Sudan has stated in its Five-Year Development
Plan (2007-2011) its intention to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium
Development Goals.
With land area of 2.5 million square kilometers, Sudan is the largest
country in Africa and the ninth largest in the world. Sudan’s total
population is estimated at approximately 39 million people. Close to 31
million or nearly 79 per cent of the population inhabits the Muslim-majority
North and another 8 million live in Southern Sudan. Almost 2 per cent
of the population is internally displaced.
Sudan's 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which was signed by the
Government of Sudan and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) put
an end to the civil war and opened unprecedented opportunities for peace,
development and prosperity. The CPA addressed directly the key causes
of the conflict. The main provisions of the CPA include: the establishment
of a Government of National Unity (GONU) for the country as a whole and
a Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS); wealth sharing protocol, building
on the emergence of oil as a major source of revenues; and other protocols
for peaceful coexistence of the Sudanese communities in the north and
south.
***
For
more information please contact:
Kumar Tiku: Head, Communications Unit, UNDP Sudan: kumar.tiku@undp.org
UNDP
is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and
connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people
build a better life.
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