Sudan

Sudan is one of the 24 priority countries in the Italian Cooperation’s intervention planning and has received €128 million in grants since 2000. In 2011, the country experienced a period of profound change due to the secession of South Sudan and the resulting loss of over 75% of its oil revenues. Stabilizing relations between the two countries has been a central element of the country’s domestic and foreign policy, which has seen the onset of a profound economic crisis. These challenges are compounded by internal tensions and conflicts in Darfur, which remains affected by a serious humanitarian emergency, South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Abyei. Sudan ranks low on the Human Development Index, 171st out of 187 countries, with serious imbalances between the center and periphery, as well as a lack and deterioration of essential public services such as water, healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Secession from the South has had a severe impact on the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which has dropped from an annual growth rate of 10% to 2.9%, with similar estimates for the next three years. Since 2007, Sudan’s per capita income has exceeded the average for sub-Saharan African countries and stands at $1,500 compared to $1,351 for the region. Most of the Sudanese population lives in poverty, with significant social inequalities. Life expectancy at birth is 60 years for men and 64 for women. Each woman gives birth to an average of 4.5 children, and 73 out of 1,000 children die before their fifth birthday. Nutrition data show alarming levels, higher than the average for sub-Saharan African countries: approximately 40% of children under the age of five are malnourished.