250 men and women from three IDP camps in North Darfur gathered for the commencement of a pilot project in which they will receive twenty days of on-the-job skills training to learn how to produce improved emergency shelters. Organised by IOM Sudan, the project offers vulnerable IDPs households with life-saving shelter assistance as well as supporting their sustainable socio-economic development through capacity building/skill training. The selection of trainees was based on information provided through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) project, in which vulnerability status was considered as one of the selection criteria. Trainees will be equipped with technical knowledge and skills to produce the much needed emergency shelters that are used in the IDP camps/settlements in North Darfur.

The pilot training entails the production of improved emergency shelter structures locally produced by the IDP trainees, which in turn will be purchased by IOM and distributed to newly displaced IDP households. IOM Sudan will closely monitor the quality of products to guarantee sustainability of the production of the shelter kit. This activity is a component of the project “Improving the Human Security of IDPs and Mobile Populations in Conflict and Natural Disaster Affected Areas in Sudan” funded by the Government of Japan. Upon completion of the training, 100 men will have the technical skills to weave mats and 150 women to assemble the emergency shelters.

The opening session for training was attended by the Minister of Social welfare and the Humanitarian Aid Commissioner for North Darfur among other partners. The activity has been well received and the local community and partner buy-in has been high.

Emergency shelters are an integral part of IOM Sudan’s life-saving humanitarian response, in 2015 47,150 IDPs and returnees were assisted through IOM’s Emergency shelter and NFI programmes. IOM Sudan is currently a member of the Food Security and Livelihood Sector as well as the ES/NFI sector, delivering both life-saving relief items and livelihood interventions across all 5 Darfur states as well as South and West Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei. This pilot project is the first of its kind, which addresses the critical interface between humanitarian action and socio economic development.

For more information, please contact: Riad Marrow Head of Preparedness and Response Unit rmarrow@iom.int