S. Korea supports UN communities building resilience project in Sudan’s Blue Nile

KHARTOUM (Sudans Post) – An agreement was signed on 5th of September between the Korean Ambassador, His Excellency. Lee Ki-Seong and Dr. Selva Ramachandran, Resident Representative of UNDP in the presence of Ms. Gwi-Yeop Son, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator at the Embassy of Korea for rolling out a project on promoting “resilience of communities” in Blue Nile State through interventions in agriculture, basic education, livestock, livelihoods, peacebuilding, and community socioeconomic assets. Supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), this project is a joint project between UNICEF, FAO and UNDP with the Ministry of Agriculture as the main government counterpart alongside the Ministry of Education and other related government departments at federal and state levels.

The project aims to build community resilience through access to sustainable livelihoods, smart climate agriculture and socioeconomic/productive assets including farm machineries with enhanced access to quality basic education and alternative learning opportunities in improved learning environment while promoting social cohesion among different groups. This comes at a time when the transitional government is emphasizing the need for local economic development and promotion of basic needs, especially in the states adjoining South Sudan.

During the signing ceremony, His Excellency Mr Kiseong Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Sudan expressed, “We are delighted to sign an agreement between KOICA and UNDP with the aim to build resilient communities in Blue Nile State. Since my arrival here in 2016, I have worked with UNDP on several successful projects in many states across Sudan, and we have good cooperation and coordination. Now, projects like these are constructive interventions in one of the most important states in Sudan. The Government of Korea is working to ensure the sustainability and continuation of peace and looking forward to a better Sudan in its new era”.

UNDP’s Resident Representative, Dr Selva Ramachandran added, “The joint project plays a catalytic role in building community resilience by providing access to sustainable livelihoods, smart climate agriculture and productive socioeconomic assets. We greatly appreciate the generous support of KOICA in this partnership.”

The project is a two year intervention in Blue Nile state to build resilience of vulnerable households including displaced populations, unemployed youth, children, their mothers and other at-risk groups drawing on the comparative advantages of the three UN Agencies, the Ministry of Agriculture and multiple technical sectors that they cover to conceive and jointly implement a system-wide approach to advance the purpose of the project.