Situation Overview: Upper Nile State, South Sudan July-August 2017 Introduction SUDAN SUDAN at the time, mainly in the south-eastern portion of the state (Maiwut, Longochuk, Nasir, Ulang), Between July and August 2017, the revival of MANYO MANYO which facilitates the provision of information conflict and increased insecurity has disrupted RENK RENK from these areas which are known to have livelihoods, access to services and humanitarian access difficulties and information gaps at assistance in Upper Nile state. Moreover, the moment. However, the central part of the insecurity has caused further displacement MELUT MELUT state (Maban, Melut, Baliet, Renk) was not into Ethiopia and Sudan with continued internal assessed and the western bank had only FASHODA MABAN FASHODA MABAN displacement inside Upper Nile State. one county where over 5% of all settlements MALAKAL MALAKAL To inform the response of humanitarian actors PANYIKANG BALIET PANYIKANG BALIET were assessed (Fashoda). In August, REACH working outside of formal displacement sites, LONGOCHUK LONGOCHUK interviewed KIs from all 12 counties. However, LUAKPINY/ LUAKPINY/ only three counties exceeded a 5% settlement REACH has been conducting an ongoing NASIR NASIR assessment of hard-to-reach areas in South ULANG MAIWUT ULANG MAIWUT coverage in the western bank of the Nile Sudan since 2015, for which data on settlements (Manyo, Fashoda and Panyikang) and one across Greater Upper Nile, Greater Equatoria county in the south-eastern part of the state and Western Bahr el Ghazal region is collected Assessed settlements (Maiwut). Given this geographical shift in areas on a monthly basis. ettlement covered between July and August this report Cover ercentage of assessed settlements relative to the CHA (CD) total dataset: does not purport to study trends between July Between July and August 2017, REACH Map 1:0 REACH assessment coverage of Upper Nile State, July 2017 (left), August (right). and August. However, as July coverage was interviewed 190 Key Informants (KIs) from 01 - 491 relatively similar to June coverage, observations 126 settlements in all 12 counties in Upper - 10 on state-level trends between June and July Nile State. In order to ensure an accurate hard-to-reach101 - 20 areas of Upper Nile State. collection sites between July and August, the 201 - 0 coverage of counties where REACH has have been included in this report. understanding of current displacement and This Situation Overview outlines displacement 0 been able to assess over 5% of known population dynamics, all selected KIs had up- and access to basic services in Upper Nile in Population Movement and settlements differed considerably between to-date information about the village from which July and August 2017. The first section analyses July and August (Map 1). Counties where Displacement they had been displaced, whether because they displacement trends in Upper Nile State. the proportion of total settlements assessed had reportedly visited the Area of Knowledge The second section outlines the population Displacement within the state of Upper Nile has is below 5% are not analysed at the county (AoK) within the last month or had been in dynamics in the assessed communities, as well been dynamic in July and August (see Map 2) level, but the settlement data is still included contact with someone livng in the AoK within as access to food and basic services for both as illustrated by 51% of assessed settlements in the state-level analysis. For July, settlement the last month. Findings have been triangulated IDP and non-displaced communities. reporting an IDP presence in their area in using KIs with humanitarian actors, secondary coverage included areas where fighting was August. A large proportion of IDPs reportedly Due to changes in the selection of data data, and previous REACH assessments of more intense and displacement was ongoing crossed the border to Ethiopia during the period : following clashes in the south-eastern part of Simultaneously, insecurity also reportedly METHODOLOGY the state in July, and others fled to Sudan due flared up at the end of July in Kaka, Manyo To provide an overview of the situation in to insecurity along the western bank in August.1 County, which reportedly led even more largely inaccessible areas of Upper Nile 2 Displacement largely affected populations people to move toward Sudan as well as State, REACH uses primary data provided that were already displaced (e.g. Aburoc toward neighbouring Malakal.5 Apart from this by key informants who have recently arrived, displacement site), which illustrates that as movement, however, the entries and exits from or receive regular information, from their pre- insecurity continues there has been a relative the Malakal Protection of Civilians (PoC site) displacement location or “Area of Knowledge”. shrinking of safe spaces for IDPs within Upper largely stabilised following an outbound trend Information for this report was collected from Nile as insecurity progresses. that lasted from February 2017 to June 2017, key informants in Renk County, Upper Nile, Displacement in and out of Upper Nile when the population of the site had decreased Akobo, Jonglei State, and Juba Protection of from approximately 30,000 people to 24,000.6 7 Civilians (PoC) site in July and August 2017. Displacement from Longochuk and Maiwut Displacement around Maban The first phase of the assessment Following clashes along the Mathiang-Pagak Through July and August a dispute between methodology comprised a participatory corridor in Longochuk and Maiwut in July, IDPs different communities began to build up in the mapping exercise to map the relevant and local communities were displaced and Maban area, which resulted in the evacuation settlements in Upper Nile State. In-depth moved toward Pagak, with an estimated 5000 Map 2: Displacement from Longochuk County, of 27 humanitarian personnel from the interviews were then conducted with selected people crossing the border with Ethiopia in the July 2017, and from Aburoc and Kaka, August area.8 Driven by insecurity in Maban, a small participants using a standardised survey early stages of the armed clashes in the area.3 2017. proportion of the population appeared to be tool comprising questions on displacement Most crossed the border due to the combined leaving towards Sudan, as REACH recorded a was insecurity, as 38% of assessed settlements trends, population needs, and access to effect of persisting insecurity and the lack of few arrivals from the Kilo 10 area in Renk town without adequate access to food reported that basic services. humanitarian assistance in Pagak following the in August. it was too unsafe to access land for cultivation After data collection was completed, all evacuation of most relocatable humanitarian in their area in July. Destruction of crops data was examined at the settlement level, workers in early July. In Maiwut County, where Situation in Assessed by fighting was the second most frequently and settlements were assigned the modal Pagak is located, 61% of assessed settlements Settlements cited reason (36%) for the lack of food in the response. When no consensus could be reported that 50% or more of the population settlements that reported inadequate access found for a settlement, that settlement had left their settlement in July, with the figure Food security to food, which reinforces the hypothesis that was not included in reporting. Descriptive increasing to 80% in August, suggesting that Ongoing insecurity, coupled with the peak persisting insecurity in Upper Nile was the statistics and geospatial analysis were then continued fighting in and around Pagak through of lean season in July, led to an increasing main factor preventing households (HHs) from used to analyse the data. that month has forced more populations to proportion of assessed settlements accessing food over the period. Please note that REACH is in the process leave their area. reporting inadequate access to food. While of establishing sustained data collection in Displacement along the western bank 46% of assessed settlements had reported Access to food in south-eastern counties Upper Nile State. As a result, the current having adequate access to food in June, this Indicative of a lack of normal sources of food coverage is limited. The conclusions drawn Renewed insecurity in Aburoc resulted in figure dropped to 27% in July. due to disruption of livelihoods by insecurity, are therefore indicative of likely trends in the further displacement from Fashoda toward the majority of settlements in both Maiwut and state. Manyo County and Sudan in July and August.4 The most frequently cited reason for low levels of adequate access to food across Upper Nile Longuchuk were reporting reliance on foraging 2 1. OCHA. Flash Update. 7 July 2017. 5. OCHA. Humanitarian bulletin. Issue 11. 15 September 2017. 2. OCHA. Humanitarian snapshot. July, August 2017. 6. IOM. DTM Malakal PoC. August 2017. 3. OCHA. Humanitarian bulletin. Issue 11. 15 September 2017. 7. Ibid. 4. OCHA. Humanitarian snapshot. August 2017. 8. WHO. Upper Nile Weekly Update. 7-16 August. as their main source of food (71% and 57% of Figure 1: Top three reported reasons for lack following a trend of decline in adequate size portions. Moreover, 49% of assessed assessed settlements respectively). While the of food in settlements that reported inadequate food access over the previous months. The settlements with inadequate access to food consumption of wild fruits is indeed seasonal food access, August 2017 insecurity that was prevalent in this area reported that households were purchasing less between February and May likely led to the expensive food at the market as opposed to during the lean season in the area, such high Unsafe to plant 47% reliance on foraging as a primary source of depletion of food reserves through frequent only 23% of assessed settlements reporting the Crops destroyed by fighting 33% food is indicative of a depletion of alternative displacement and looting and halted cultivation same coping strategy in June, thus suggesting food sources, likely as a result of continued Food distribution stopped 7% in many areas.