The Information Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) was conducted between September and December 2022, in nine research sites in West Darfur, South Kordofan, and Kassala states, focusing on communities impacted by conflict and displacement. The report provides an analysis of how political instability has transformed information dynamics in Sudan. Secondly, the report examines how the information landscape, language, and literacy levels impinged on COVID-19 vaccine uptake among women and men in the three regions. Lastly, the report analyzes the role of gender in COVID-19 risk communication with a specific focus on how sexual and reproductive health rumors inform the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. The report is anchored on and seeks to address gaps and issues identified in the 2021 IEA.
Through a combination of interviews, desk research, and focus group discussions, this IEA explores trends of information demand and supply within displaced and host communities. The report also analyzes their information access, needs, use, flows, and identifies means of trust and influence within host and displaced communities in Kassala, South Kordofan and West Darfur.