DFID’s water, sanitation and hygiene programming in Sudan

DFID’s response to the Darfur conflict in Sudan since 2003 has been one of its largest ever humanitarian operations. This report looks at the water, sanitation and hygiene component of DFID’s response across different delivery channels.

Score: Amber/Red
  1. Status: Completed
  2. Published: 21 February 2013
  3. Type: Other
  4. Subject: Country focus, Global health
  5. Assessment: Amber/Red
  6. Location: Sudan
  7. Lead commissioner: John Githongo

Read the review

Review

Overall we found the Department for International Development (DFID) helped to save lives by providing essential water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to internally displaced people following the conflict. As the crisis became chronic, however, continued emergency support has created dependency. We awarded an amber-red score and made four recommendations.

Findings

DFID has been the largest contributor to a United Nations-led Common Humanitarian Fund (UN-CHF), with £36 million in WASH support. ICAI found that this was appropriate in the context of a large-scale emergency response. While impact data is scarce, the early interventions helped to save lives by contributing to a reduction in the incidence of water-borne disease. As the conflict has become protracted, however, the annual emergency support has led to dependency and is not providing sustainable solutions.

DFID attempted to invest more sustainably in water security through the £6.7 million Darfur Urban Water Supply project which was delivered by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS). ICAI assessed this to be a poorly designed project which did not sufficiently take account of institutional and economic realities. The project has, therefore, delivered little or no impact for the intended beneficiaries.

Success was achieved through the direct partnership with Tearfund, a non-governmental organisation. DFID’s £2.8 million funding has contributed to a community-based approach, which offers a real prospect of strong and sustainable impact.

Recommendations

  1. DFID should produce a detailed strategy and results framework for transition away from emergency WASH humanitarian programming in Darfur towards more sustainable investments in infrastructure and services.
  2. DFID funding through the Sudan UN-CHF should be phased out in favour of multi-annual grants direct to delivery partners for sustainable interventions.
  3. DFID should ensure that lessons from the DUWS project are integrated into its business cases for future water programmes in Sudan and elsewhere.
  4. At the corporate level, DFID should ensure that its WASH policy framework prioritises early planning for transition from emergency assistance through early recovery to development programming in the context of protracted and chronic crises.

 

Read the news story

Timeline

Review publication

Published 21 February 2013

Government response

Published 28 February 2013

ICAI follow-up

Published 12 June 2014