It should be rich, with fertile land and productive oilfields, but Abyei’s remote location, political instability and history of conflict have made it one of the poorest areas in the region.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, the situation has worsened, with nearly 25,000 refugees and returnees entering this disputed region, which locals refer to as “the Box”. Families live in overcrowded shelters, where disease spreads easily among people weakened by hunger. Basic services, from education to healthcare, are overwhelmed. The uptick in numbers has also increased pressure on water and grazing land, fueling intercommunal tensions. 

All this makes Abyei one of the hardest places to do development – but hard does not mean impossible, and places like this are where development is needed the most. 

Since 2023, under the overall leadership of the Resident Coordinators of Sudan and South Sudan, UNDP been working with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), to create jobs, support farmers, empower women, provide clean power and water and foster dialogue and peacebuilding activities among different communities. The challenges have been significant, but we are beginning to see results. 

Challenge one: access and supplies

One of the first difficulties to overcome was finding partners to work with. Intercommunal violence and political uncertainty had made organizations reluctant to invest or move staff into an area where they were likely to face rising costs or might be forced to evacuate. To overcome these difficulties, and with support of the Joint Office of the Resident Coordinators for Sudan and South Sudan in Abyei, UNISFA provided accommodation and office space for partners moving to Abyei and facilitated access to Abyei via flights from Wau in South Sudan. 

Abyei’s remoteness also made it hard – and more expensive – to bring in supplies. Local markets didn’t have the materials needed to provide solar power or drill boreholes and the war made access from the north almost impossible. Instead, supplies had to be brought in via South Sudan, on roads that rains can make impassable from July all the way through to October.  

This led to higher costs and inevitable delays. But these challenges were both unavoidable and a further indication of why development is so sorely needed here.

Challenge two: Fairness and community buy-in 

Once the project was up and running, we faced the second challenge: how to ensure a fair distribution of resources that would meet local needs and get community buy in. When needs are great, there are always tensions. Who gets trained? Which village’s borehole is repaired? Where should solar power be provided? 

To answer these questions, UNDP formed local Community Management Committees to identify the most vulnerable people and decide where activities would take place, based on clear selection criteria. These Committees included a representative from every village, and from all communities, including IDPs, refugees and different ethnic groups.

This helped reduce conflict by ensuring that everyone had a say in how resources were used, but there were still protests and disagreements that took weeks of further dialogue to resolve, including a community conference at the UNISFA compound that led to agreements on protecting project operations from disruption, the shared use of land and water and the regulation of livestock movement. At the same time, the project enabled sporting competitions and other inter-community events to help build trust and reduce tensions.

Challenge three: Making sure women get their share

Gender norms are strictly enforced in Abyei, where women marry into their husband’s household and have less decision-making power. But UNDP made sure women occupied at least 30% of seats on the Community Management Committees and played a key role in discussions. For example, in deciding the location of a water access point, women successfully argued for placing it nearer to their houses instead of next to grazing lands where the men work.

A year of results

Despite all these challenges, the project is now boosting food security, improving the local economy and providing new opportunities for youth and women.

To improve food security, 150 famers have been trained on crop management. This has helped improve nutritional intake and allowed families to turn a profit by selling surpluses on the local market. The project has also rehabilitated water points and is installing solar-powered pumps for irrigation. 

For young people, UNDP has introduced high-speed internet to previously unconnected areas, along with mobile devices and charging stations, opening up educational opportunities for youth who previously had access only to a local school that might mean just a desk in the sun and a single shared book. Over 100 have completed online courses in digital and vocational skills. 

To improve physical and mental health, UNDP has repaired Goli Basic Health Unit. We’ve also offered psychosocial support to over 2,000 displaced individuals and trained community volunteers on trauma counselling and anxiety management to ensure sustained provision of basic mental health care.

To empower women, we created four Village Saving and Loan Associations that have brought together 170 women to pool resources and start small businesses. These women have also been given coaching on business skills and a platform to discuss shared concerns and provide each other with mutual support. 

Recognizing that lasting peace is built from the ground up, UNDP has facilitated peace dialogues involving over 100 participants, focusing on intergenerational understanding and gender equality.

The road ahead

Most activities to date have been implemented in Goli, but the next phase of the project will allow us to scale up Diffra and expand to Mekiness and Farouk. As the project grows, farmers will receive certified seeds, extension services and help to access larger markets, while solar power will help irrigate fields year-round. Women will be supported to open or expand kitchen gardens and we will continue community dialogues and activities to foster peace.