Sudan

An important reason for Norwegian involvement is that Norwegian organisations have been heavily represented in Sudan ever since the 1970s. This is especially true for Norwegian Church Aid and Norwegian People's Aid, while the Norwegian Refugee Council and other organisations have come in more recently. Norwegian People's Aid is currently the largest international organisation on the ground in South Sudan.

There has also been a long-term and broad-based collaboration between Sudanese and Norwegian academic institutions, especially the University and research institutes of Bergen.

Emergency relief – including in Darfur

For 2010, about one third of Norwegian aid funds went towards emergency relief – primarily to Darfur and South Sudan. The conflict in Darfur is far from being resolved, and more than 2.5 million people live in camps for internally displaced persons. The humanitarian needs are great.

One of the largest recipients

Since the turn of the century, Norway has spent over NOK two billion in Sudan. Until now, about 40 per cent of Norwegian aid funds has gone towards humanitarian efforts. Now Norway is changing course in the country that has been one of the largest recipients of aid for many years. "That we will now engage in state-building in South Sudan is an important crossroads. For South Sudan it is not about post-war reconstruction, it is about building from scratch," said Minister of the Environment and International Development, Erik Solheim to the development magazine, Bistandsaktuelt.

Low educational level

There is no recipe for successful state building. The political challenges in the south are gigantic – while people on the ground demand change. This may present a challenge to President Salva Kiira and his team, since the long-term development plan for the next year is not finished. Building a state virtually from scratch entails putting in place a constitution, judiciary, health system, education system, sewage system, army, police, political systems, and a state administration – everything needed for a country to function.

This is the gigantic task Norway and other large donors will participate in. Norway has allocated NOK 600-700 million this year to development work in South Sudan and North Sudan. The funding will probably be at the same level over the next few years.

As Norway is now changing the direction of the aid effort there are two main focuses:

• Oil – there is strong focus on capacity building and improving the management of oil revenues.
• Financial management and administration in the state system.

Ensuring women's participation in community life is an important part of the government's initiative in all projects. But there has been particular emphasis on building a network of female politicians in Sudan through the Institute for Inclusive Security before the referendum and elections.

Training

Norway and other donors will deploy experts and advisors in the finance and oil ministries in Juba. They will conduct training and transfer of knowledge, as well as assisting in establishing an administration and best practices for financial management.

In addition to focusing on oil and finance Norway also supports a capacity building programme for the training of government officials from Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. The objective of the UNDP programme is to have at least 1 000 professionals coming from neighbouring countries to Sudan to participate in capacity building for staff in the new government system. The first ones are already in place and in operation.

Development statistics

It was only last year that the country had a census which gave a reasonable overview of the living conditions of the civilian population. At this point the first official statistics were released. It indicates there is a long way to go – in all sectors, and not least in remote areas. The statistics were made in cooperation with the Central Bureau of Statistics in Norway.

Police training

In recent years, Norway has also funded a project to conduct training in "how to be a police officer". Many currently on the police force can neither read nor write and have little knowledge about human rights. They will receive training in everything from human rights to law. Norwegian funding will largely be channelled through the UN system. The UN has approved a peacekeeping operation in the country, UNMIS (United Nations Mission in Sudan). Norway is participating with several police officers. In 2011 the former Minister of International Development Hilde Frafjord Johnson was appointed head of all UN operations in the country.

The multi-donor trust fund

After the peace agreement the so-called Multi Donor Fund was created – to coordinate the efforts of various aid donors. But after two or three years several hundred million U.S. dollars were still in the bank and little happened on the ground. Norway decided to stop the payments in 2009. Norway also contributed to creating a joint donor office. The fund will gradually be phased out, since fresh capital is not forthcoming. But the joint donor office will remain as an entity for professional advice in the Juba-based aid community.

Some of the results of the multi-donor trust fund's efforts:

Education

• Through the funding of over six million workbooks, over 20 000 learning packages for teachers and students, and 24 000 books in Arabic, distributed to all states, the multi-donor trust fund has reached about 1.7 million pupils, students and teachers.
• A total of 658 students have graduated from Juba Technical High School. These are expected to contribute to an increased use of Sudanese craftsmen and professionals in a variety of areas.
• There has been progress in the number of children in school, particularly in relation to girls, and better access to health services, but the quality of services has not improved noticeably.
• Crisis programmes in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile have contributed with desks and other school equipment for a total of almost 400 000 students.

Water, sanitation and health

• Over 600 well holes have been drilled or rehabilitated, providing clean water to over 245 000 people across all ten states
• Water supply has improved for over 100 000 people
• 100 000 students now have better access to water
• Water supply to 50 000 animals has been provided
• Six distribution systems for water in semi-urban areas have been improved
• Around 160 local groups have received training on hygiene and sanitation
• 700 individuals have been trained in the maintenance of pumps and other installations
• Over 1 000 health centres have received supplies of medicines and malaria nets, helping over 2.5 million patients with necessary medications
• More than one million anti-malaria mosquito nets have been distributed

The Fund has also contributed to funding for the rehabilitation of 309 km of railway lines, and the reopening of the railway from Northern Sudan to Wau in South Sudan.

(Figures from late 2009)