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RETURNS TASKFORCE WEEKLY ACTIVITY REPORT * Place: Date: 11 May 2005 Period: 04-11 May 2005 Key Activities Undertaken in Reporting Period

Assistance and Protection in Locations of Displacement:

Food Aid: · General food distributions of about 500 MT of assorted food commodities took place in Rumbek Centre County, Cuibet, Tambura/Ezo camps as well as in Ibba County in Western targeting 46,940 beneficiaries, including 1,434 refugees from DRC, 8,000 returnees (from , DRC and various locations in the Northern Sector) and 4,000 IDPs.

· A total of 15,600 vulnerable beneficiaries in Marial Bai, Bahr El Ghazal, including 1,560 returnees from various locations in the Northern Sector and 1,040 IDPs, received 147 MT of assorted food commodities.

Information Management: · Results of the pre-testing informative messaging for IDPs in Elsalaam camp and Haj Yousif squatter area in Khartoum are being collected by IOM and UNICEF. · A centre for women capacity building activities built by Neswuia association has been opened in Elsalaam camp. · Coordination meetings have taken place between IOM and 8 IDP representatives from the four official IDP camps of Khartoum in preparation for a five-day Go&See visit to Nuba Mountains that will start on 11 May. · Enfant du Monde issued a socioeconomic survey carried out in Shikkan and Al Fateh squatter areas in Khartoum. The main aim of the survey was to assess the impact of the demolitions upon the economic situation of both groups and to identify the most vulnerable people and their specific needs. For further information regarding the survey, please contact Project Officer Sandrine Lecomte at [email protected].

Multisector Support for Return and Reintegration: · The food situation of Ethiopian refugees in Pibor is becoming desperate. In March 2005, WFP Malakal organised food distribution to both refugees and the local population. In April 2005, additional food was provided to the refugees only. At the moment, a regular food distribution plan is yet to be established. · There were no new arrivals of Ethiopian refugees from Pibor in during the reporting period. The refugees are settled at Lologo at the outskirts of Juba and there are no complaints from the community around the site. WFP is providing the refugees with a monthly food ration. During the reporting period, preparations were made to arrange mine awareness training for the population before they start cultivating land allocated to them by the local authorities. The training will be conducted by the Sudan Landmine Information and Response Initiative. Arrangements have also been made with other NGOs, including ADRA and ACF, for medical treatment. With regards to the enrolment of refugee students in schools, a letter has been sent by UNHCR Juba to the HAC, Bahr El Jebel State Commissioner for him to forward an official letter to the Council of Ministers requesting approval to admit refugees into the education system in Juba.

Information on Returnees and related activities:

Food Aid: · WFP’s Cooperating Partner Sudanese Red Crescent registered 88 returnees from Khartoum in Kadugli, South Kordofan, during the week. There is growing concern that the imminent rainy season will hinder humanitarian assistance to the returnee population.

* IMPORTANT: All qualitative and quantitative information provided here is to be verified and sourced to a specific agency.

· WFP is closely monitoring reports by HAC authorities of some 6,647 IDPs in El Fula, Babanousa in North Kordofan and Abyei who fled fighting in areas bordering South Darfur. HAC is coordinating an inter-agency mission to the affected areas in the coming week. · WFP continues to coordinate planned assistance with humanitarian agencies in Wau on the expected arrival of some 6,000 returnees from Mabia IDP camp to Raja and Deim Zubiar in Bahr El Ghazal. · WFP continues to monitor reports of increasing numbers of refugees estimated at 200 from Gambella, Ethiopia in eastern areas of Nasir and Pibor in Jonglei State. In addition, WFP also continued to register residents and returnees in Palliau and Lualdit and Lokutok during the week. WFP is also monitoring increased population movements in Padak, South Bor County following inter-clan clashes that took place in the Awerial in Yirol county at the end of April. · OCHA reported that 666 returnees were tracked, monitored and registered in various locations in the White Nile.

Multisector Support for Return and Reintegration: · Following the joint SRRC/UNOCHA mission along return routes, World Vision has been contacted to help address the most urgent needs. Some advance IDP groups have reached a place approximately 140 km north of Tambura, Equatoria and are clearing the bush in order to proceed as the road is mined. A group of 1500-2000 IDPs are in a camp some 40 km north of Nzagambaro, where they received WFP food drops, UNICEF emergency medical kits and assistance from the Comboni missionaries. Another group of some 550 people arrived at Bazia, some 40 km south of Wau, while some 1,000 persons are reported to be on route. · In Juba, the pattern of population movements remained the same with merchants increasing their daily movements from Yei and Western Equatoria into Juba, bringing in various commercial items such as beer, second-hand clothes, , honey and flour. The number of student returnees continued to increase. Since December 2004, HAC has registered a total of 686 students at primary and secondary levels (ex-refugees and returning IDPs from SPLM areas). According to the authorities, population movements are expected to drop as most people will soon be busy with agricultural activities. · UNHCR Juba, together with other UN agencies, the HAC, the Commissioner of Bahr El Jabel State and NGOs in Juba that make up the Return and Reintegration Working Group, conducted a one-day assessment mission to mile 39 on the Juba-Yei road (the last station occupied by the Sudan Armed Forces). The purpose of the mission was to assess monitoring posts that will be established to track population movements amidst reports that the Yei-Juba road is open and receiving sizeable population movements. According to the local authorities, the Yei River Provincial Commissioner and locality will be moving to establish administrative centres in the area. Other monitoring points are Kudele, on the Juba-Rokon road covering movements from Western Equatoria and Yei areas, and Rejaf West, covering movements from .

Assistance and Protection Provided Along Return Routes:

Food Aid: · WFP provided 88 MT of high-energy biscuits to UNICEF for some 350 people as part of an assisted return exercise organised by the Committee for the Eradication of Abduction of Women and Children (CEAWC) in West Kordofan. The biscuits will be provided in Muglad for these returnees en route from Nyala and Ed Daien in South Darfur and from El Fula and Muglad in West Kordofan to Northern Bahr El Ghazal. · A total of 11,930 returnees who arrived from Khartoum and various areas of the Northern Sector received 180 MT of food assistance in the Nuba Mountains (Seraf Jamous, Kadugli County) during the week.

Information Management: · The IOM-UNJLC one-week assessment in Wau for the establishment of a way station/ transit point has been finalised.

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Assistance Provided to Re-integrated IDPs and Host Communities:

Food Security and Livelihoods: · FAO Wau Field Office continued its distributions of production inputs in the region. 13.1 MT of groundnuts, , sesame and sorghum seeds have been distributed to 945 households (425 IDPs, 207 returnees & 313 receiving community). 1317 pieces of various hand tools has also been distributed. The distributions covered Bussere and Momoi villages, and Khor Ukanda and Baryar IDP camps in Bahr el Ghazal. · The cross line barge operation in Upper Nile has commenced and FAO plans to distribute 85.1 MT of crop seeds, 11,676 pieces of hand tools, 6,974 fishing spools of twines and 348,700 pieces of fishing hooks.

Multisector Support for Return and Reintegration: · Drilling of two wells in one village (Merikiyo) on Juba-Rokon road has started. Twenty more sites are being identified in and around Juba town where large numbers of returnees are expected to settle. · UNHCR signed an agreement with Mine Action Group (MAG) in Rumbek to undertake mine clearance and conduct mine risk education for refugees and returnees and UNHCR staff. UNHCR also signed an agreement with GTZ to cover all logistical, transport and warehousing activities in southern Sudan. · Action Africa Hilfe (AAH) has hired a contractor to renovate Commissioner’s Administrative Block in Bahr El Jebel. Mobilisation of local construction material is ongoing. Work is expected to start immediately. · With UNHCR funding, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is in the process of procuring textbooks and stationery. Three primary school assistants have been identified and selected and they will work closely with the schools in the three counties of Greater Yei. They will also participate as facilitators during an upcoming two-week teacher training. Two UNHCR/JRS school constructions in Lutaya have now reached ring-beam level. · On 30 April, UNHCR visited the Greenbelt Women’s Association in Morobu, Bahr El Jebel and were briefed on their ongoing projects: construction of a women’s resource centre and a kindergarten for 80 children. They were also briefed on plans for construction of a boarding school for girls. · UNHCR visited 2 Payams in Lainya county. It has been decided that during May UNHCR will visit every Payam in Yei, Morobu and Lainya (14 Payams in total) to establish a relation with the communities. These visits are approved by the local authorities in the respective counties. · Concern Worldwide, in coordination with SRRC and NMPACT, is holding a workshop on ‘Resettlement Assistance to Returnees and Vulnerable groups from the 9 – 11 May for Payam Leaders, Administrators, Village Relief Committees in Rashad County, Nuba Mountains. The workshop is discussing the importance of selection criteria, data collection, and also international principles regarding IDPs. · Returns Working Group’s are now well established in both Kadugli and Kauda, Southern Kordofan/Nuba Mountains. The groups are being coordinated by NMPACT and HAC/SRRC, and have good support from both the UN agencies, INGOs and local NGOs. All sectors are represented in both groups. The main objectives of the Working Groups is information sharing, both internally and externally, development of practical action plans to ensure efficient and effective implementation in both long and short term planning, multi-sectoral assessments (including an active response when required) and identifying sector/information gaps. For more information on these groups please contact NMPACT Assistant Field Coordinator [email protected]. · Enumerators have now been recruited and trained by NMPACT, with the assistance of UN- OCHA, in Southern Kordofan. They are now undertaking the tracking of returnees on five main routes into the region. Tracking started on 1 May, and it is hoped that the first round of data will be released by 14 May. This is a pilot project that will hopefully provide us with a snapshot of the situation before the rains. It is planned that we will learn from this experience, so that by October 2005, after the rains, we should have a workable and comprehensive system in place in Southern Kordofan that compliments other similar activities in the region. · Concern Worldwide are now distributing seeds and tools (7000 metal sheets for malodas) in Rashad County, Nuba Mountains through established seed banks to returnees and vulnerable persons. 35 MT of sorghum is being distributed, as well as 5 MT from the seed collected last

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year through the seed banks, 4 MT of and 4 MT of sesame. Total number of beneficiaries to be verified. · FAO are also now distributing 20MT of sorghum, and other field crops, including cowpea, groundnut and maize, in Kadugli and Rashad County, Nuba Mountains. Distribution is taking place in coordination with SRRC/Concern Worldwide. Total number of beneficiaries to be verified. · NMPACT have produced a Working Document on Returns for Southern Kordofan. This has been done in coordination with the authorities and organisations working in the region. It is still in draft form, but include information on return routes, areas of returns and sector priorities/issues. This is a working document, therefore will be continuously modified and developed. For further information please contact [email protected] or [email protected] (NMPACT Programme Coordinator)

Nutrition: · A workshop on the management of severe acute malnutrition started on 7 May at the Grand Holiday Villa. The workshop, facilitated by two UNICEF international consultants, has brought together some 65 participants from 12 Sudan states, two other countries (Djibouti and Yemen), NGOs and professional associations. The workshop will last until 11 May.

Water and Environmental Sanitation:

Table Reflects Activities accomplished over this reporting period: State/ Number of Number of Number of Hand Hand pumps Location bore wells bore wells latrines pumps rehabilitated provided rehabilitated supported/ installed completed Khartoum 16 (by 17 (UNICEF) Khartoum Water Authority) Juba 3 (Swedish 2 (UNICEF) 1 (RDA) 8 (UNICEF) Free Mission) Unity 4 (UNICEF) Blue Nile 1 (UNICEF) 7 (UNICEF) 2 (UNICEF) Equatoria 2 (IAS) Total

· UNICEF/WES has established two centres for sanitation and hygiene promotion in El Fateh 2 Block 10 and El Fateh 3 Block 63 in Khartoum. · The training of 20 hand pumps mechanics was conducted in Mandela area, Khartoum to improve operation and maintenance of the community hand pumps. · UNICEF initiated negotiations with WES partners to accelerate implementation of sanitation activates in many areas including Torit, Equatoria where the sanitation situation is very poor. · WES completed training for 38 volunteers for guinea worm eradication in Magok in Canal area, Upper Nile.

Key Challenges/Concerns

Funding:

Food Aid: · Funding shortfalls continue to affect WFP’s capacity to put in place adequate staffing and commodities to prepare for the expected food needs of returnees. To date, EMOP 10048.3, valued at US$ 302 million, has only received about US$ 70 million, representing approximately 23 percent of the total operational requirements. In tonnage terms, the EMOP has received 71,913 MT, representing 27 percent of the 268,199 MT operational requirements. Urgent contributions are immediately needed to respond to the pressing food requirements in the coming months to allow commodities to be pre-positioned before the the rainy season.

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Proposed Humanitarian Response

Actions: · OCHA should urgently review coordination mechanisms in key areas of return in order to identify gaps and clarify divisions of labour, UN/NGO capacity and roles and responsibilities. · Issuance/dissemination of final UN framework document to all actors at the field is critical. · WFP requires additional Cooperating Partners in order to enhance its ability to provide food aid assistance along routes and at places of return. Specifically in the Upper Nile and Jonglei States.

Signature Chair of Returns Taskforce:

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