Panyang, Road Assessment Report

MALAKAL- NASSER - MATHIANG – PAGAK- JIKOU -MABAN – POLOICH - MELUT ROAD ASSESSMENT MISSION

Date(s): 12 March – 17 March, 2012 Location(s): Malakal, Nasser, Kiech Kon, Mathiang, Pagak, Jemaam, Maban, Polich, Meluth, and Jikou Participating Agencies Logistics Cluster, UNHCR, and UNMCC

Participant (s) Venkat Dheeravath (LC), Mkumbukwa Paul Mkombozi (UNHCR), and Falestine (UNMACC) Security: Level 3

1.0 Objectives of the Mission 1. Using GPS and SDI-T tools track and assess Malakal, Nasser, Kiech Kon, Mathiang, Pagak, Jemaam, Maban, Polich, Meluth, and Jikou Road sections for humanitarian access. 2. Identify the exact stretch of the damaged roads, bridges and culverts, to repair and understand better access for returnees, Common Transport service (CTS) and for all humanitarian Community/INGO’s/Local NGO’s and GOSS. 3. Assess the possibility of using Gambella Road corridor into Upper Nile State, South Sudan. 2.0 Summary of Findings/Recommendations/Observations Malakal – Nasser-Jikou  Malakal to Nasser road is partially completed (photo A) and smooth up to Bailet. It is passable for all traffic and in all seasons. Road construction is on-going in/out Bailet towards Nasser (13m wide) by Eyat Road Construction Company (see photo B). The road is open upto Nasser, for all traffic, only in Dry season - maximum 40 mt capacity (photo C).  Rupbuat village is 32 km before Nasser and has a non-functioning clinic. This clinic was run by MSF (2004-2006) and ADRA (2006- 2008). Villagers have requested the maintenance of this clinic.  Rupbaut airstrip is smooth with clay soil usable for fixed wing aircraft only in the Dry season.  Heading South–East from Nasser to Jikou, the road track is rough and passable only up to Ajungmir with 4WD only in dry season along Sobat river bank.  Sobat River water level is below 1m at present; people are crossing the river by foot (photo D).  Nasser Airstrip is rough and needs to be rehabilitated.

A. Malakal-Bailet Road (2nd layer completed) B. In/out Bailet Road under construction (2nd layer)

C. Bush Cleared Road track: Bailet to Nasser D. Sobat River low water level (< 1 m)

For more information about Logistics Cluster, South Sudan, please visit our website at http://www.logcluster.org/ops/sudan or send an email to south [email protected] Logistics Cluster South Sudan maintains a number of e-mail lists for the dissemination of information and discussion on logistics topics. To learn more about, subscribe to, or un-subscribe from WFP-LCU’s e-mail lists, please visit www.logcluster.org/ops/southsudan Page 1 of 5

Nasser- Kiech Kon- Mathiang  Nasser to Mading road track is smooth for the first 10 km and then is a foot track with many swamps. Mading is passable only for 4WD in the Dry season with difficulty (photo E).  Nasser to Kiech Kon road is rough track, passable with only light vehicles (10 mt) during the Dry season with difficulties.  Kiech Kon to Guel Guk is smooth road track is passable for light vehicles (20 mt) only during the Dry season (see photo G).  Kiech Kon Airstrip is smooth and operational for fixed wing aircraft only during Dry season (see photo F).  Guel Guk to Mathiang first 26 km road is smooth (murram) and road is passable for all traffic (60 mt) (see photo I), after that road is passable only for light vehicles in the Rainy season.

E. Nasser to Mading road track F. Kich Kon Airstrip is operational

G. Kiech Kon –Guel Guk Road Track I. Guel Guk Mathiang Road (First 25km Murram)

Mathiang - Pagak- Koriken-Jikou  Mathiang to Pagak road is smooth and black cotton soil track but passable for all traffic only in dry season (see photo J).  Mathiang Airstrip: This is a new airstrip only with black cotton soil and currently used by MAF (see photo). This airstrip needs to be upgraded with murram. (photo K).  Maiwut wet crossing stream is not passable for all traffic during the Rainy season (photo L).  Pagak Border Bridge, constructed by Ethiopian Road Construction Company, is passable for all traffic (60 mt) (see below map).  Outbound from South Sudan border towards Koriken - Gambella - highway road is partially tarmac and rest is murram. This route is under construction and, as per the road contractor, they are intending to complete in 3 months’ time from now (photo M).  Koriken to Jikou Town is not passable by road for all traffic, in all seasons, only first 15 km of road and bridges are under construction and accessible in the dry season (photo N & O)  The Customs check point is located in Pagak Town and Border Check point is at Pagak Bridge. The customs procedures are straight forward. For more information on customs procedures in Pagak Town, please contact: [email protected]  There is no road to Jikou from Pagak inside South Sudan, only foot track usable. The Pagak Payam administrator was advised to use Gambela road up to Koriken to access Jikou in the Dry season.  UNMISS Malakal team in Mathiang were on mission and requested to collect Mathiang to Dajo road GPS coordinates. The stretch is passable only for 4WD in the dry season. UNMISS team reported that 3,000 refugees in Dajo need immediate food and shelter from UNHCR and WFP.

J. Mathiang –Pagak Road (Black cotton soil) K. Mathiang New Airstrip (Black cotton soil)

L. Wet Crossing stream at Maiwut M. Gambela road at Pagak Border in Ethiopia

N. Bridge is under construction Koriken-Jikou Road O. Gambela road ending at big swamp/water crossing Guel Guk-Adar-Jemaam-Maban-Bunj  Guel Guk – Adar – Jemaam Road is smooth and is passable for all traffic and in all seasons; The majority of these roads are maintained by oil companies in Upper Nile State (Photo P).  Jemaam to Maban road is rough and murram paved road is passable for all traffic and in all seasons (Photo Q).  Maban Airstrip needs to be expanded and rehabilitated as soon as possible.  Maban – Bunj the road is rough and passable for all traffic and in all seasons; rehabilitation of this route is necessary as this stretch leads to WFP/UNHCR warehouse and refugee camps.  Canon Construction Company graded the road from Jemaam to Murram pit before Maban.

P. Guel Guk – Adar Murram Road Q. Jemaam Murram Road Adar-Poloich-Melut  Adar to Kilo 10 km road is smooth; a few bad potholes were filled with black cotton soil need to be filled and compacted with murram before the Rainy season in order to ensure this road is passable for all traffic in all seasons.  From Kilo 10 to Poloich: the first 34 km is murram road and is rough. After this strip it is a tarmac road all the way up to Poloich which is passable for all traffic in all seasons.  Poloich has good operational airport, built and used frequently by oil companies and national flights.  Polich to Melut road is smooth and passable for all traffic and in all seasons. Poloich-Malakal  Polich Jn to Malakal road is smooth and wider (15 m) but is not yet completed. Two layers have been completed and one layer is remaining. 3 key concrete bridges were completed and one is operational. This stretch is passable for all traffic in the Dry season and only after 5 dry days in the Rainy season for light vehicles. (photos R & S)

R. Guel Guk – Adar Murram Road S. Guel Guk – Adar Murram Road Other Findings:  Weather: No rain was reported. The rainy season is expected to start sometime between mid-April and the first week of May, therefore above all corridors will remain accessible until the beginning of the rains.  Security: The security situation is stable. UNMACC/NPA reported that have they cleared all mines in Pagak Town.  New Boma/settlements and Airstrip GPS coordinates collected which were not existed in our database.  2 Awele transport trailers were stuck between Malakal – Nasser corridor due to carrying WFP Food over their capacity (45 mt) on dirt/sand road.

LOGCLUSTER SOUTH SUDAN CONTACTS: LOGCLUSTER COORDINATOR: ALASTAIR COOK [email protected] GIS OFFICER: VENKAT DHEERAVATH [email protected] LOGISTICS OFFICER (CTS): ANDREW JACKSON [email protected] LOGISTICS OFFICER: JEPPE ANDERSEN [email protected]