IPPF DG, Alvaro Bermejo paid a visit to the Sudan this week where he was hosted by the local Member Association, the Sudanese Family Planning Association (SFPA), its government counterparts, as well as international stakeholders and local volunteers.
In his visits to various parts of the country, Alvaro said that Sudanese women should have the freedom to choose if and when to have children. The four-day visit saw Alvaro visit the Sudanese capital, Khartoum as well as the refugee camp Gedaref.
His wide-ranging conversations included a focus on the work of the association in camps for displaced people. Alvaro commended the good work of SFPA and said that the figures and statistics bore out the deep lessons being learned through the work they are doing.
IPPF Regional Director for the Arab World Region (AWRO) Dr Fadoua Bakhadda expressed her gratitude for the visit to the relevant family planning clinics. Bakhadda said that SFPA made an important contribution not only to the region but to the Federation as a whole. She said her team was always ready to help and provide the support needed to the Association to ensure it goes from strength to strength and find the connections both at a regional and at a global level.
President of the Sudanese Family Planning Association, Prof. Al-Kadro, Burhan Al-Kaddour, said that the association is about six decades old. It’s a voluntary NGO providing services to women. It recently shifted its vision according to a new strategy to include all family and youth, pointing out that there are thirteen branches across all the country’s different states.
Alvaro also held a press conference with the SFPA in Khartoum where articulated the Federations’s support for the Association, saying he will be sharing the best practices and lessons learnt through his international donor and stakeholder meetings. He also stressed that IPPF would work closely with the association to ensure the that the humanitarian crisis is addressed going forward.
IPPF produced some more materials below for World Humanitarian Day last month:
Short video for World Humanitarian Day focusing on the Tigray response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHU_zmoIpus&feature=youtu.be
Portrait series from a camp in Tigray: https://www.ippf.org/stories/pictures-women-tigray
Article on our response by Julie: https://guardian.ng/opinion/ethiopian-tigray-crisis-sexual-and-reproductive-healthcare-as-a-core-need/
Some media coverage of Alvaro’s visit to the Sudan:
https://blnews.net/2022/10/the-director-general-of-the-international-planned-parenthood-federation-visits-sudan/
الفارو برمنجو يتفقد عيادة معسكر ام راكوبة للاجئين بالقضارف – شبكة الحرية نيوز (elhorreya.com)
PPFN applauds the DG for this visit and a great opportunity for Advocacy if proper timing is planned. I look forward to Mr. Alvero in Nigeria.
La visite du DH Alvaro et de Dr Fadoua est un soutient et un encouragement pour l association soudanaise, o ne peut qu applaudir ce geste.j espère qu il rendra visite à notre association tunisienne ,nous serons s très ravis et honorés.felicitations pour ASPF.cordialement.Ghedira Fethi