Weekly Bulletin Humanitarian Action in Southern Sudan Week 10, 9-15 March 2008
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Weekly Bulletin Humanitarian Action in Southern Sudan Week 10, 9-15 March 2008 SUMMARY/HIGHLIGHTS Security situation in Khurfulus (Upper Nile 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 1 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 South Sudan 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 Malakal 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. 2 • 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 Pagak Bridge, but alternative options are being pursued to enable convoys in April. • UNHCR is also bringing 7,000 refugees to Maban County 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 3 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.