News
Sudan: Looking at the year ahead
14 January 2010
As the newly appointed Programme Manager for RedR’s Staff Safety Programme in Sudan, Beruk Kabtamu is looking forward to a busy year ahead, providing essential safety and security training and support for humanitarian organisations in one of the world’s most difficult environments for aid workers.
Having started work with RedR in January 2009 as Training Team Leader for the Sudan Programme, Beruk is already familiar with RedR’s work and the challenges aid workers face in their daily work in Darfur. He comments: “It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to be part of an organisation that contributes to the safety and security of staff of humanitarian agencies working in Darfur, an unstable area with so many incidents that threaten the safety and security of the aid workers.”
Over the last few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of targeted attacks on aid workers and their assets. A rise in kidnappings and abductions, compound break-ins, and car-jackings is making Darfur in Western Sudan one of the three most insecure countries in the world for aid workers according to UN statistics.
Evidently, the precarious safety situation for relief workers affects the ability of aid organisations to reach the estimated 4.7 million local people affected by the on-going conflict.
From his work with RedR, Beruk is very aware that safety is at the top of everyone’s mind. By helping improve organisational safety practices and awareness, and by providing support to aid workers to better cope with the challenges they face, RedR is enabling relief workers to bring life-saving aid to affected communities and internally displaced persons.
“Everywhere I go, people know me as a Trainer who provides safety and security training and support - an issue that is very important to everyone, and people appreciate RedR’s response to their needs. Working with RedR is rewarding and one of my greatest achievements,” Beruk explains.
Looking at the year ahead
In 2010, Beruk and his colleagues will continue RedR’s programme providing vital training and support for the aid community through the Staff Safety and Staff Welfare programmes. The team are keen to build on a series of impressive achievements in 2009, including running 91 courses which trained 1025 aid workers, 86% of whom were local Sudanese staff.
The Sudan team are also very aware that working in a highly unstable region, means responding to the rapidly changing needs of the organisations operating here. In the coming year, they are introducing a number of new courses, three of which are likely to be Security Guard Training (Level 2), Drivers’ Training, and Site Security Management.
RedR also aims to roll out more training in West Darfur to bring much needed training and support to agencies working in this region.
Sudan staff are keen to further promote the role of RedR’s Sudan Office as key point to facilitate safety information exchange, develop the staff welfare support network, and strengthen collaboration with the Government of Sudan, United Nations agencies, and the international and national NGOs working in Darfur.
To support its capacity to deliver training and respond to the changing needs of the sector, RedR has recruited four new staff members: two Training Team Leaders to be based in Nyala and El Fasher; and a Safety Advisor. In addition, we are looking to a new Programme Manager for the Staff Welfare Programme.
View RedR Member and Shelter Expert Joseph Ashmore speaking on Channel 4 News about the Haiti quake.
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