Weekly Bulletin Humanitarian Action in Southern Sudan Week 10, 9-15 March 2008

SUMMARY/HIGHLIGHTS Security situation in Khurfulus ( State) has improved and the area was dropped to level two. Large numbers of people return to Southern Sudan ahead of census Over 18,500 refugees have been repatriated since January 2008 Humanitarian needs increase as more isolated displacements occur amid increased numbers of returns

I. FOCUS ON STABILITY AND SECURITY Lakes State - On March 9 and 10, bordering Abyie remains tense. clashes triggered by cattle raids occurred in Humanitarian agencies are advised to take Tonj (Warrap State) between Agar Pakam precaution in light of the nomadic of Rumbek and Luacjang of Tonj East movement of the Messiriya herds in the County. Reportedly, 50 persons were from border areas and the shaky security Tonj East and 13 (unconfirmed) from situation in Abyei and areas bordering Rumbek were killed in the process. South Kordofan State. People in Tonj East are fleeing the attacks. General security in Warrap and The affected people have started receiving Western Bahr el Ghazal States remain medical attention, but remain in need of relatively calm, while the security situation other humanitarian support. in the northern part of Northern Bahr el Unity State - The security in Ghazal State is deteriorating. Abeinhnom County in northern Unity State

II. CURRENT ISSUES • The Return and Reintegration of Qualified Sudanese (RQS) Programme has placed 187 qualified Sudanese – 30% of them female, into employment within the education, health, infrastructure, finance and agriculture sectors. The programme had received 292 job offers. RQS is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sudan in partnership with the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan, local organizations, and international agencies to assist; o internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Sudan, o refugees and migrants living in East and North Africa and the Gulf, and o refugees and migrants living in Europe, North America or other countries • On 12 March WFP introduced the food distributions guidelines for 2008 to support returnees in Sudan. All returnees, whether spontaneous or organized, will be entitled to food assistance during the period of reintegration in their areas of origin. Upon registration and verification, a three month reintegration package will be provided to returnees on arrival at final destination or at designated intermediary sites. Initial three month ration will be followed by an additional three month ration, and food

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assistance will continue, either at half or full ration, through the hunger gap and first harvest. The need for a subsequent general food distribution (GFD) assistance will be based on the needs assessment following the first harvest. • The Embassy of Japan and UNHCR on 7 March jointly unveiled a US$8.7 million grants that will fund school feeding assistance, income generating school gardening and formal training for hundreds of teachers. The project jointly implemented by UNHCR, WFP and FAO is called the “Programme for Construction of Education Facilities in for Integrating Returnees and Empowering Host Communities”. Under the project, two teacher training institutes and five satellite schools will be constructed in Juba and Aweil. The Ministry of Education and UNICEF are involved in the planning process.

III. POPULATION MOVEMENTS AND RETURNS Internally displaced persons (IDPs) (from RCO, UNMIS/RRR ) • The State Return Committee and the Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) have reported government plans to return thousands of people from various parts of the north before the census in April. • The first convoy of this type is expected to arrive in Upper Nile state with a total of 3,164 individuals to eight counties - Maban (264 persons), Ulang (528 persons), Nasir (264 persons), Maiwut (264 persons), Longshok (264 persons), Fashoda (264 persons), Fanyakan (264 persons) and Baliet (1,056). • Humanitarian needs for the returnees are expected to be high, while agencies don’t seem ready to respond in time. Vulnerability in the host communities may also increase. • The Commissioner of the Council of Ministers visited seven states in North Sudan to mobilize IDPs to come home in Southern Sudan for the census. As stated by the commissioner, there are huge numbers of IDPs in Senar (33,000), Gazira (5,162), White Nile (3,250), North Kordofan (56,000) and South Kordofan (except Kalogi and Talodi areas) (15,160). • Upper Nile State authorities are planning to organize the return of 3,150 people from the north in the coming week. UNICEF and partners are coordinating the means to support the returnees with water, sanitation and hygiene support, non-food items (NFIs) and primary health care upon arrival in way station.

Refugees (from UNHCR) • During the reporting week, 3,025 refugee returnees reached home in Southern Sudan, being the highest weekly total since the beginning of this operation. o Between 1 January and 8 March 2008, a total of 18,772 refugees were repatriated of which 18,571 persons (99 %) were organized and 201 persons (1 %) were assisted self-repatriation. o Under the organized voluntary repatriation programme, 2,541 persons (663 families) came from Uganda to settle in Central Equatoria and Eastern Equatoria States, 467 persons (173 families) came from Kenya to settle in Jonglei State. o By 15 March repatriation of refugees to Southern Sudan and mostly Blue Nile State has reached a cumulative total of 187,738. Of this number 95,727 were facilitated by UNHCR.

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• Currently, returns from Kenya along the Kakuma – Kapoeta – Juba – Bor corridor occurs once a week. With the recent donation of 15 trucks from government partner SSRRC to UNHCR, this corridor will be able to conduct repatriation twice every week. • UNHCR continues to face a challenge in EES due to inter-tribal conflict between Dinka IDPs and Equatorian host communities, with periodic upheavals effectively suspending returns to that area. • Sudanese refugees in various parts of Ethiopia are registered for voluntary repatriation, and are ready to return. Pending the clearance of the road from Blue Nile to Upper Nile for explosive remnants of war (ERW), the first returnee convoy is due on 17th March. Returns from Gambella are now delayed due to the severe engineering damage to the Bridge, but alternative options are being pursued to enable convoys in April. • UNHCR is also bringing 7,000 refugees to from Ethiopia next week. UNICEF and RI have drilled 7 boreholes in Maban and have provided health kits and EPI drugs as well as school supplies to support the returnees.

Returns and Re-integration (from RCO, UNMIS/RRR) • Nearly 2,000 persons, mostly women and children, arrived at the way station in Malakal on 17 March. The Malakal County Commissioner reported that a bigger number is expected soon. • Food has been delivered to the way station by World Vision, WFP Implementing Partner pending distribution. A new water pump has been provided by UNICEF and the water situation at the station seems to be under control. • Establishment of an emergency sanitation block is required as the immediate intervention for the way station only has eight toilet rooms which are not enough considering the current and expected population at the station. • Distribution of NFIs should be given less priority as most of the returnees had their cooking utensils, bedding (mattresses, beds and even chairs) on board from Khartoum. • During this week, 118 individuals (32 households) were transported from Khartoum to Unity state, and 991 individuals (230 households) from South Darfur to Northern Bahr el Ghazal, bringing the cumulative total of individuals returned under the Joint Plan to 7,967 so far in 2008. • The ADRA/IOM team in Kosti reported a total of 897 individuals (180 households) passing through the transit hub in spontaneous movements from 7 to 13 March, representing an increase of 23% from the previous week’s figures. The main destinations were Upper Nile (42%), and South Kordofan (37%). • On 11 March, the IOM barge under organized returns (EEQ-1) left Kosti to Juba with 385 individuals (94 households) on board, including 8 individuals who were spontaneous returnees from Kosti way station. • SSRRC Central Equatoria State (CES) reported to UNMIS/RRR that there are approximately 1,300 IDPs and returnees that have not yet received assistance in terms of food and NFIs. According to the Director of SSRRC CES, Mr Stance Yatta, some of these people have received food but not NFIs while most of them have not received any assistance. RRR discussed this issue with the Returns and Re-integration Working Group (RRWG) at the regular meeting on Thursday 13th March 2008. RRR

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and SSRRC are to visit WFP and UNICEF to work out a tentative date for the distribution of assistance.

IV. SITUATION, NEEDS AND RESPONSE BY SECTOR Coordination and Common Services (from OCHA, UNHCR) • OCHA EP&R provided support to the RCO office in Warrap for contingency planning and actor mapping in relation to the conflict in the north. An assessment will also be conducted. The Western Equatoria (WES) RCO office was also assisted to conduct an assessment of Yubu near Tambura, which recently experienced militia activity. A report is expected to be circulated next week. A further assessment will be conducted next week following the conflict in Toch, Tonj East, Warrap state. • A total of twenty-four participants drawn from UN agencies, NGOs, state line ministries and SSRRC – GoSS took part in the Jonglei state contingency planning (CP) sessions held 11 – 13 March 2008 in Bor. The RCO office coordinated the workshop, which was facilitated by UNOCHA’s EP&R unit. The scenario building focused mainly on insecurity, floods and epidemics as priority risks for the state. The workshop aimed at building the capacity of humanitarian workers to effectively use CP as a proactive emergency preparedness tool. The main recommendations included close monitoring of the scenarios in line with socio-economic-political changes in the environment in the state and from its neighboring borders, as well as at macro-level. The participants also proposed briefing sessions of policy makers on emergency preparedness at state and GoSS levels to facilitate awareness raising and advocacy. Similar exercises have been requested in Unity, Warrap and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states and these will be undertaken depending on funding availability. • UNHCR and the Advisory Group on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) have developed an SGBV training curriculum for Yei and translated SGBV materials into local languages. Their material support is complementing the capacity of the Police Gender Desk to deal with abuse of women and girls.

Disease outbreaks (from OCHA, UNMIS/RRR) • Measles - Juba Teaching Hospital continues to report cases of measles. The Ministry of Health is providing support in collaboration with CDC and WHO. No new cases of measles have been reported in Kapoeta this week. • Meningitis - A suspected case of Meningitis has been reported at Juba Teaching Hospital. Conflict in Kapoeta has hindered the assessment of meningitis cases there. UNDSS/EP&R facilitated the transportation of essential meningitis supplies from MoH and MSF-Swiss to Kapoeta on 13th March. • Cholera - Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)/Cholera was investigated in Khaldak, Jonglei. No cases were found despite records of the disease in the patient register. Surveillance training has been provided to health officials in the area. On 11 March, WHO continued to report Acute Watery Diarrhea and Bloody Diarrhea (AWD/BD) cases in Western Equatoria, though a reduction on previous numbers it remained high in Yambio and Tambura. Currently, nine counties out of ten are providing regular epidemiological data to the State Surveillance Office. However, Yambio and Tambura Counties reported high numbers of AWD/BD cases. Despite the high number, the situation is not alarming to the extent of requiring a medical emergency response and no related death was reported. The situation is due to non functioning boreholes, compelling the local communities to drink water from potentially 4

contaminated springs. The State Rural Water Directorate jointly with UNICEF is in the process of addressing the growing problem of water and sanitation in all counties. • Hepatitis E - Three new cases in Kapoeta displayed acute symptoms including hemorrhaging. WHO released HEP-E guidelines to advise agencies in response to the outbreak.

Health (from IOM, UNICEF, UNHCR) • The RQS has placed 20 qualified health workers including doctors, nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians and others in 3 states namely, Western Equatoria, Western Bahr El Ghazal and Central Equatoria. • Fifty-four health workers from Unity State and 45 from Upper Nile have attended training on the Reach Every County (REC) strategy. The training lasted for four days and was facilitated by UNICEF, WHO and SMoH. The training focussed on the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) goal of achieving more than 80% children vaccinated against the six child killer diseases through routine immunization in every county by 2010. • Lack of a safe water source is compromising hygiene standards at Jalimo Orphanage Primary School. A health talk outreach program was held at the school by Sudan Health Association (SUHA). Four hundred and twenty-seven pupils (231 girls and 196 boys) received health education on personal hygiene.

Child Protection/DDR (from UNICEF) • Demobilization took place in Mapel on 12 March and 46 children were demobilized and sent for reunification; 13 in Warrap state, 14 NBeG, 13 WBeG, 4 Lakes and 2 Unity. The State DDR Child Officer with support from social workers and UNICEF will conduct follow up visits to ensure that children are living in family environments and getting services for their reintegration.

Water and Sanitation (from UNICEF) • Three broken down water points were rehabilitated in Boro-Medina Payam Raga County WBeG State increasing access to safe water for 150 people. • One new borehole was constructed in Kuajok Kuac North Payam Gogrial West County Warrap State by Water for Sudan. • Two hand pumps were repaired in Lieth camp. • Eleven drums of chlorine were allocated for cholera preparedness in Twic County. The drums will be distributed to 11 clinics run by the NGO Goal. So far six drums have been transported to Twic, the remaining drums will be transported to next week.

Food Security (from RCO) On 11 of March, the organizations in the food security and livelihoods sector in Upper Nile State met and shared the following plans for 2008, • VSF-Germany will implement food security programmes in the western bank of the Nile and will target 3,000 households in Malakal, Lello and Agut payams of Malakal County. • IRD announced that it will implement its food security programme in four counties of Bailiet, Ulang, Nasir and Malakal, and it is targeting 4,000 households and supporting all agricultural activities in the four counties. • World Vision will cover Panykang County, specifically Tonga and Pakang payams. 5

• Ministry of Agriculture has promised to cover 12 counties of the state with provision of seeds and hand tools. That will be done in coordination with other members of the group to avoid duplication. • FAO is targeting 8,000 households with seeds and tools in Upper Nile state.

Education (from UNICEF, IOM) • In Western Equatoria, 171 student kits and 405 cartons of exercise books were delivered to Maridi County which will benefit almost 14,000 children. • Ninety-four schools in five counties in Upper Nile State (Maluth, Maban, Manyo, Lungushuk, and Maiwut) received school supplies, which will benefit 42,105 pupils. • Teacher’s head count verification exercise was launched and training of 21 County Education Directors in both states of Upper Nile and Unity States was carried out. • Delivery and distribution of GTS materials (student & teacher kits) for River Jur County was carried out in Mapel. • The IOM RQS programme has focused on placement of qualified teachers in different states in Southern Sudan. To date, the programme has been able to place 147 teachers in states namely, CES, EES, WES, NBeG, WBeG, Unity, Jonglei and Khartoum in North Sudan. The qualified candidates include teachers from primary school to those highly qualified teaching at University level.

V. ASSESSEMENTS AND MISSIONS • Joint team (SSRRC Headquarters, SSRRC Pariang County, Pariang County Commissioner and UNMIS/RRR) undertook returnee absorption capacity assessment mission to Pariang and Awet Counties. Assessment of Awet Adet County, where 6,568 individuals in Khartoum have been registered to return was meant to investigate existing basic services. Commissioner for Pariang County said that both counties had high numbers of IDPs and refugees as these are the only two counties inhabited by the Dinka tribe in Unity State. Numbers of IDPs range from 20,000 to 25,000. The mission concluded that water problems have been addressed given that there are 17 deep wells and 25 hand pumps. All the payams are linked to the county headquarters with new road construction also making it easy to get supplies from Bentiu, Higlig and Khartoum. Some makeshift schools are in place with 200 qualified teachers who are paid by GoSS and are teaching in various schools. Though health services are constrained a new clinic in Panyang has been established. Land is also available for returnees and there is a plan to provide tractors for local community on a cost recovery basis. • During the week under review, UNMIS/RRR participated in interagency assessment missions in Centre of Udici, Baggari and Bazia Payams of Western Bahr el Ghazal. The objectives of the missions were to update the Reception Committee about the return operation, and to inform them about the tasks, roles and the structure of the Reception Committee.

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Disclaimer: The information in this report is consolidated from OCHA field reports, UN agencies, RCO at state level, NGOs, and other humanitarian and state partners. The report is subject to availability of data and does not claim to be exhaustive or fully verified. If you have inputs for the next edition, or questions/comments to the current issue, please contact: [email protected]

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