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In light of the ongoing conflict in Sudan since April 15, 2023, the Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA) has re-launched its electronic platform to provide essential rights-based reproductive health services. Current technical challenges in Sudan, caused by the ongoing conflict, has disrupted many essential services, including access to family planning and reproductive health care. The e-platform is being relaunched to ensure that we can continue providing rights-based, essential services to those in need, particularly women and youth, even during these difficult times. Since the platform’s inception, it has already reached over one thousand clients, many of whom are in rural or conflict-affected areas. It has also provided psychological support and legal advice to women suffering from abuse in conflict areas, which demonstrates the platform’s vital role. This initiative, supported by the Federal Ministry of Health and state ministries, aims to strengthen the affected health system and improve access to vital services during this challenging period. Key services available through the phone number 1700 include: Comprehensive reproductive health consultations. Response to gender-based violence (GBV) with psychological and legal support. Secure and confidential remote consultations via video calls. The project aims to: Enhance access to reproductive health services, particularly in conflict-affected areas. Support vulnerable groups such as women and youth with comprehensive health consultations. Strengthen the national health system in partnership with the Ministry of Health and international partners. Elshafie Muhammed Ali, Executive Director, Sudan Family Planning Association, said:  "We hope this initiative will contribute to alleviating the impact of the crisis and improving the quality of life for the Sudanese population. The lack of reaction from the UN and the international community is heartbreaking. So much is left for the Sudanese people to deal with. SFPA and IPPF stand by the women and girls of Sudan, even if the world looks away." The total number of people who fled their homes since mid-April 2023 is 10.3 million - or every fifth person in the country - making this the largest displacement crisis in the world. This includes about 8 million people displaced within Sudan and another 2.3 million who crossed into neighbouring countries. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), estimates that 6.7 million Sudanese people, mostly women, are at risk of gender-based violence (GBV).

Nairobi, 23 September 2024 – A groundbreaking £75.125 million project has been announced by the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and its partners, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Options, Ipas, and Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programmes, to transform sexual and reproductive health services across East and Southern Africa. This large-scale initiative will benefit seven countries, supporting millions of women, girls, and vulnerable communities in Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Zambia. This programme, known as Women’s Integrated Sexual Health 2 (WISH 2) Lot 2, is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). As part of FCDO WISH Dividend, it builds on the successes of FCDO’s £272 million Women’s Integrated Sexual Health (2018-2024) programme, which spanned 27 countries across Africa and Asia. Over its lifespan, the first WISH programme supported over an estimated 16.9 million women and girls, helping them gain access to critical SRHR services. FCDO’s continued partnership with IPPF for this next phase of WISH was unveiled by FCDO's Chris Carter, on behalf of the UK Minister for Africa, Lord Collins, during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) side event, “SRHR: Securing reproductive choice for the next generation.” Announcing FCDO’s partnerships with IPPF, MSI Reproductive Choices and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Chris Carter noted the new programme will play a critical role in increasing women's voice, choice and control across 13 countries in Africa.” With the goal of delivering over seven million ‘couple years protection,’ the programme will address critical healthcare gaps, promote reproductive choice, and tackle harmful social norms. It will also provide urgent support to improve policies, strengthen health systems, and safeguard the reproductive rights of women and girls, especially in areas affected by conflict and displacement. At the heart of this initiative is a focus on reaching the most marginalised groups, including young women and girls under 20, those living in poverty, people with disabilities, and communities in conflict zones. Importantly, WISH2 will also work to improve access to safe abortion care and counteract the growing threats to women’s and girls' sexual and reproductive health rights. IPPF Director General Dr Alvaro Bermejo emphasised the critical need to protect and expand access to SRHR. “WISH2 will continue our mission of empowering women and girls across Africa to unlock their full potential. We will not only tackle the rollback of SRHR rights but also strengthen disability inclusion while delivering sustainable healthcare solutions,” said Dr Bermejo. “We’re grateful to the UK Government for their unwavering support in this important work.” Elshafie Mohamed Ali, Executive Director of Sudan Family Planning Association (SFPA) said “WISH2 is essential given Sudan’s current circumstances, particularly the ongoing conflict since April 15, 2023. The programme addresses the growing need for sexual and reproductive health services, offering crucial support to vulnerable communities amidst increasing instability and humanitarian challenges.” Chris Carter, Deputy Director, Head of Human Development Department, highlighted the impact of this new initiative: “Access to sexual and reproductive health services saves lives, empowers women and girls, and supports education, transforming lives and entire livelihoods. This project will amplify women’s voice, choice, and control across Africa, and we are proud to partner with IPPF and African organizations in this critical mission.” For media enquiries, please contact [email protected]    

With support from the Government of Japan, International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) Member Associations in five countries, namely Afghanistan, Palestine, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen, will provide urgent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to communities affected by natural disasters and conflict situations.  These IPPF Member Associations will: Provide sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and maternal and child health services for women and girls and marginalized communities in six remote and flood affected provinces in Afghanistan; Provide urgent sexual and reproductive health services to communities affected by the escalating violence in Palestine; Improve accessibility of services and community sustainability to decrease sexual and reproductive health-related mortality and morbidity of women and girls in three States with high internally-displaced populations in Sudan; Restore health facilities and access to maternal health services in conflict affected areas for populations affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine;  Provide critical sexual, reproductive and maternal health care to internally displaced people and local communities in Yemen. This vital funding from Japan will help with provision of badly needed but currently missing health services, especially for women, so that they can live with dignity and free from unwanted pregnancies, death of themselves and their newborns, and reproductive ill-health. It will allow us to provide essential and quality SRH and maternal and child health services in the communities, prevent and manage the consequences of sexual and gender-based violence, including the clinical management of rape, equip community-based midwives with skills to provide high quality obstetric and neonatal services and strengthen health information systems to collect high quality data to respond to the needs and priorities of women and girls’ health. IPPF Director General, Dr Alvaro Bemejo, said, "I offer heartfelt thanks to the Government of Japan for their  unparalleled generosity to enable IPPF to respond to the needs of women and girls caught up in crises around the world. This generosity will allow IPPF and our local partners to provide a critical lifeline to the growing number of people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance."   By the end of December 2024, IPPF, through our local partners in the five countries, will aim to deliver health services and information to at least 239,000 people in total.   For further information, please contact Yuri Taniguchi, IPPF London Office, at [email protected].   Photo Credits: IPPF/Hannah Maule-ffinch/Sudan