Government and Humanitarian Partners
2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop
Grand Holiday Villa
April 7, 2014
Khartoum
Summary Report
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Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman
1: Background:
Flood hazards in Sudan caused by heavy rains (flash floods) or Nile river and its tributaries.
The rainy season usually lasts for about three months from July to September. In 2013
continuous and heavy rains in much of Sudan, started in early August 2013.The heavy rains
resulted in flood damage to varying degrees in all 18 States estimated 500,000 people
affected throughout the country.78 killed, 84 injured Over 36,000 homes completely
destroyed, 49,000 homes partially damaged, 480 schools and 51 health centers damaged,
Khartoum State was the most affected area, followed by El Gezeira and Blue Nile
2: Workshop objectives:
The Workshop aimed at achieving the following objectives:
1: to draw lessons from 2013 flood preparedness and responses.
2: to formulate action plan/recommendations to guide future flood
preparedness and responses in Sudan.
3: Workshop participants:
Due to the importance of the issue, and the sizable number of those involved in providing
assistance for the affected population last year, the workshop attracted 101 participants
representing Federal and State Government ministries, UN agencies, INGOs, NGOs and many
other interested parties including press, national TV and radio channels.
4: Workshop methodology/ proceedings:
Group discussions embarked on 4 thematic areas. Focusing on what went well and what
needs to be improved?
1. Disaster risk reduction and mitigation.
2. Early warning and information management
3. Sectors preparedness and response.
4. Coordination, joint need assessment, unified figures and facilitated procedures
5. What went well in 2013? Institutions in place
5.1. National Council for Civil Defence (NCCD):
 Provides an inter-ministerial response to floods. The Civil Defence present
throughout the country with more than 76 stations in different States.

Civil Defence has seven hazard-specific plans that are all integrated into a National
Plan.
5.2. Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC):
 takes the role of overall national coordination for actions with regard to disasters
and disaster risk management with defined responsibilities in early warning,
emergency response, hazard analysis, vulnerability analysis and needs assessment.

Flood Task Force (FTF) is a multi-stakeholders, the taskforce is a good collective and
effective mechanism for inter-agency coordination and emergency response.
5.3. Sudan meteorological Authorities (SMA):
 Provide seasonal rainfall prediction and update the prediction on monthly basis.

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Provide rainfall data on regular basis ( 5 and 10 days)
Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman

SMA provide remote sensed data to monitor and estimate rainfall amounts over the
entire country on dekadal basis.
5.4. Ministry of water resources (MOWR):
 Has the mandate to mange the river , dams and wadies . it maintains a network of
50 stations to monitor river flood up and down stream.
5.5. Remote sensing Authorities(RSA)
role with regard to Disaster and Risk management

RSA is involved actively in the awareness activities related to space technologies and
their applications, such as:

Use of space technology for natural resources management, environmental
monitoring and disaster management.

In 2011 Sudan received a UN – SPIDER Technical Support (TAS) through its Technical
Advisory Mission from 22 – 26 May 2011.

RSA hosted the event which was organized jointly by RSA and UN- SPIDER. The
Technical Advisory mission team had in-depth discussions with all agencies involved
in disaster management and identified the need to upgrade the capacity on using
space technology for improving the disaster management capacity.
6. What need to be improved? Groups’ work outcomes/Analysis:
6.1: Disaster risk reduction and mitigation.
6.1.1: weak involvement of technical departments in disaster risk reduction
and mitigation activities.
1.2: engineering mistakes in towns planning "roads, bridges and drainage
systems".
1-3: In adequate preventive and mitigation measures undertaken in flood
prone states.
1-4: lack of community mobilization in disaster risk reduction and mitigation
activities.
1-5: unclear roles and responsibilities among those involved in disaster risk
reduction and mitigation.
1-6: lack of effective community awareness raising related to disasters.
6.2: Early warning and information management:
6.2.1: Absence of efficient early warning systems.
2-2: Weak coordination among and between early warning mechanisms.
2-3: Weak early warning information management system, dissemination and
sharing of information.
2-4: Inactive monitoring system.
2-5: Absence of flood risk maps.
2-6: weak funds allocated to early warning systems.
2-8: poor utilization of modern technologies in early warning.
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Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman
2-9: limited number of trained cadre.
6.3: Sectors preparedness and response:
6.3.1. Lack of contingency plans.
Lack of national disaster plan
3-2. Insufficincy of the "Strategic reserve Stock".
3-3. weak community involvement in the disaster preparedness and
response.
3-4. Inadequate of resources, supplies and funding.
3-5.Lack of multi-sectoral funding proposal
3.6. Poor inter-sector coordination, particularly due to lack of coordinated
assessments and integrated approach
3-7. lack of timely and accurate determination of needs, coverage and gaps
6.4. Coordination, joint need assessment, unified figures and facilitated
procedures:
6.4.1. Late activation of flood task force forums
4-2. Poor linkages and harmonized working relationship between and among
various floods forums/state level emergency committees and national flood task
force.
4.3. Difficulties in conducting coordinated needs assessments
4.4. Discrepancies in the numbers of affected people
4.5. Difficulties in accessing flood affected area and peoples by INGOs
7. Recommendations/Action Points by thematic groups
Action point
Time frame
Responsibility
7.1: Disaster risk reduction and mitigation:
1-1: strengthen and activate Higher
On going
HAC and Higher Council of
Disaster Response council.
Civil Defense.
1-2: build and manage emergency strategic
On going
Government and partners
stock of Non Food Items (NFIs)
1-3: build staff capacities in disaster
On going
Government and partners
response at the Local, State and Federal
levels.
1-4: Provide Supportive Supervision for
As needed
HAC and Higher Council of
staff working in emergency situation.
Civil Defense.
1-5: relocate aid agencies according to the When needed HAC
need
1-6: correct planning and engineering
On going
Ministry of Civil Planning
mistakes
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Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman
1-7: formulate national disaster response
plan.
1-8: activate media role in disaster
awareness raising.
April – May
014
On going
1-9: utilize available technologies and
As needed
disseminate reports.
7.2: Early warning and information management:
On going
2-1: establish and manage early warning
mechanism
May 014
2-2: unify and support early warning data
base
April – July
2-4: improve emergency plan for
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Khartoum and Al Gazeera State as
example to be replicated in other States.
2-5: conduct trend analysis of rainfall
On going
2-6: conduct risk mapping at Local, State
and Federal levels.
2-7: conduct vulnerability Analysis at
Local, State and Federal levels.
Ongoing
2-8: conduct mapping of existing local
bodies in selected vulnerable areas and
build their disaster response and mitigation
capacities.
2-8: conduct fund raising campaign for
early warning and information manageent
7.3: Sectors preparedness and response:
3-1: formulate disaster response plan
3-2: continuation of education services
3-3: schools rehabilitation.
3-4: provision of health services.
3-5: distribute food and NFIs
3-6: Provision of psychosocial support.
3-7: support children and elderly.
3-8: support evacuation of people at risk.
3-9: provide security for disaster areas
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ongoing
On going
April – May
014
As needed
HAC
Higher Disaster Response
council, HAC and Higher
Council of Civil Defense.
Higher Disaster Response
council, HAC and partners.
HAC and Higher Council of
Civil Defense،‫و‬
HAC and Remote Sensing
Council, SMA,MOWR .
HAC, Higher Council of Civil
Defense,
and
Remote
Sensing authority (SRA), UN
agencies, and partners.
SMA, HAC, Remote Sensing
Authority, and partners.
HAC, Higher Council of Civil
Defense, UN and partners.
HAC, Higher Council of Civil
Defense, SRA, UN partners
and PLAN.
HAC, Higher Council of Civil
Defense and PLAN.
Ministry of Finance, Private
sector and Partners.
HAC and Partners
HAC,
respective
departments, and partners
Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman
7.4: Coordination, joint need assessment, unified figures and facilitated procedures:
4-1: Activate and strengthen coordination April
– NFTF,
HAC,
Higher
mechanisms at Local, State and Federal December
Council of Civil Defense,
levels.
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and
Remote
Sensing
Council and partners.
4-2: Activate multi sector initial rapid On going
HAC and partners.
assessment mechanism/tool
4-3: Receive and distribute emergency On going
Sectors
assistance through unified channels and
sectors’ approach
Coordinate response based on needs On going
Sectors/H. partners
identification,
prioritization
and
monitoring approach
4-4: unify public and media relation As needed
HAC and NFTF.
mechanism
Avail access to flood affected needy As needed
HAC and NFTF
peoples, by H. actors on grounds to assess,
response and monitor implementation
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Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman
Ministry of Welfare and Social Security
Humanitarian Aid Commission
National Flood Task Force Forum
Lessons Learned Workshop on 2013 Flood
Grand Holiday Villa, 7th April 2014
Workshop Itinerary
Time
09:00 – 9:30
Activity
Opening Remarks
09:30 – 10:00
Workshop objectives, process and
expected outcomes
Overview 2013 Flood Response
10:00 – 10:30
10:30 -10: 45
10:45 – 12:30
12:30 – 01:30
Tea/Coffee Break
Learning from 2013 Flood Response
(What went well and what needs to
be improved?)
Lunch Break
Remarks
 Mr. Beder El Din Mohamed
Abdalla (Chairman National Flood
Task Force Forum)
 Mr. Manoj Kumar (County
Director, Plan International,
Sudan)
 Mr Ali Al-Za’tari
UN Resident and Humanitarian
Coordinator & UNDP Resident
Representative
 H.E. Dr. Suleiman Abdel Rahman
Suleiman (Commissioner General
Humanitarian Aid Commission)
Facilitator
HAC
Group discussion and presentation of
findings
01:30 – 03:30
Preparation of Action Plan for
Effective Response to 2014 floods
Group discussion and presentation of
findings
03:30 – 04:00
04:00 – 04:30
Tea/Coffee Break
Summary of Action Plan
Facilitator
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Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman
04:30 – 05:00
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Closing Remarks
 H.E. Dr. Suleiman Abdel Rahman
Suleiman Commissioner General,
Humanitarian Aid Commission)
Report on 2013 Flood Lessons Learned Workshop – Khartoum - April 7, 2014 – By A'amir Ali A/Rhman