Jonglei State, South Sudan January - March 2020
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Situation Overview: Jonglei State, South Sudan January - March 2020 Introduction METHODOLOGY Reported humanitarian needs increased across is likely a consequence of severe flooding Map 1: Assessment coverage in Jonglei State in To provide an indicative overview of the situation Jonglei State throughout the first quarter of which appears to have brought forward January (A), February (B) and March (C), 2020: in hard-to-reach areas of Jonglei State, REACH 2020. An early depletion of food stocks, limited the onset of the lean season from March uses primary data from key informants (KIs) who access to livestock and increasing market to January.3 Moving forward, heavy rains A B have recently arrived from, recently visited, or prices resulted in widespread food insecurity. in the coming months may further reduce receive regular information from a settlement or Moving forward, the existing humanitarian crisis humanitarian access to extremely vulnerable “Area of Knowledge” (AoK). Information for this report was collected from KIs in Bor Protection of could be exacerbated further by the direct and populations in hard-to-reach areas. Civilians (PoC) site, Bor Town and Akobo Town in indirect effects of COVID-19. • The proportion of assessed settlements January, February and March 2020. To inform humanitarian actors working outside reporting protection concerns remained Monthly interviews on humanitarian needs were formal settlement sites, REACH has conducted stable, with 79% reporting most people felt conducted using a structured survey tool. After data collection was completed, all data was assessments of hard-to-reach areas in South safe most of the time in March. However, the 0 - 4.9% aggregated at settlement level, and settlements Sudan since December 2015. Data is collected protection situation in Uror and Nyriol counties Canal/ 5 - 10% Pigi were assigned the modal or most credible on a monthly basis through interviews with key appeared to have worsened in March, likely Fangak 11 - 20% response. When no consensus could be found for informants (KIs) with knowledge of a settlement due to an increase in intercommunal violence 21 - 50% a settlement, that settlement was not included in and triangulated with focus group discussions Nyirol • Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) 51 - 100% reporting. Ayod (FGDs). This Situation Overview analyses Only counties with interview coverage of at needs remained high and may be further Akobo Assessed settlement changes in observed humanitarian needs in 1 exacerbated by COVID-19 as reported least 5% of all settlements in a given month Jonglei State in the first quarter of 2020. Uror were included in analysis. Due to access and barriers to accessing clean water sources Duk operational constraints, the specific settlements and functional healthcare services assessed within each county each month vary. Key Findings Twic East Pochalla pose challenges to both the widespread In order to reduce the likelihood that variations in • The proportion of assessed settlements implementation of World Health Organisation data are attributable to coverage differences, over reporting the presence of internally (WHO)4 handwashing practices and the Bor South time analyses were only conducted for counties Pibor displaced persons (IDPs) remained stable accessibility of healthcare services. C with at least 70% consistent payam2 coverage this quarter (60% in March). This is probably over the period. • Access to reliable shelter seemingly varied related to the continuation of protracted Quantitative findings were triangulated by focus by population group: 24% of assessed intercommunal clashes. group discussions (FGDs) with participants settlements reported the main shelter type # of key informant interviews conducted: 1,330 displaced from across Jonglei State, and • Food security deteriorated further during the for IDPs to be less solid structures, such as # of assessed settlements: 910 secondary sources. 5 reporting period, with just 49% of assessed rakoobas or improvised shelters, while host # of counties covered consistently: 9 (of 11) More details of the methodology can be found in settlements reporting adequate access to communities reportedly mainly used solid # of focus group discussions conducted: 22 the AoK ToRs. food in March (68% in December 2019). This structures for shelter (95%). 1. To calculate the percentage of AoK coverage, the total number of settlements per county is based on OCHA settlement lists in addition to new settlements mapped by KIs reached each month. Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft Confédération suisse 2. Payams are the administrative unit at the sub-county level in South Sudan. Confederazione Svizzera 3. OCHA. Humanitarian Needs Overview 2020. November 2019. Confederaziun svizra 4. WHO. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public. March 2020. Swiss Agency for Development 5. Rakoobas are shelters constructed from poles and plastic tarpaulin. and Cooperation SDC • Though education reportedly remained The conflict reportedly displaced over 8,000 Map 2: Proportion of assessed settlements March was rejoining family and home (80%).18 accessible for most assessed settlements people to the United Nations Mission In reporting the presence of IDPs in March 2020 This finding is supported by AoK data from (85%), the proportion of assessed settlements South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Pibor Town, March 2020, with 57% of assessed settlements reporting that half or more of boys were simultaneously disrupting trade flows and the that reported the presence of refugee returnees attending school in March (86%), remained delivery of humanitarian assistance, resulting reporting family/home as the main pull factor. higher than for girls (53%). in ‘critical gaps’ in the delivery of water, relief commodities, shelter supplies, and WASH Moving forward, the prevalence and Population Movement and infrastructure.7,8 Frequent revenge attacks in geographical dynamics of COVID-19 are Displacement the aftermath of the conflict may explain why, likely to act as key drivers of both internal and in March, 100% of assessed settlements in cross-border population movement. According The proportion of assessed settlements Uror, Nyriol and Akobo counties which reported to FGD participants displaced from Ethiopia, reporting the presence of IDPs in Jonglei State the occurrence of a large-scale displacement fear of COVID-19 and the closure of education remained high but stable between December reported conflict as the primary push factor. facilities has encouraged large numbers of (51%), and March (60%). Consistent with the students to return to South Sudan.19 This is previous reporting period, 59% of assessed Insecurity, rooted in the fear of potential journeys.14 In addition, insecurity also pushed concerning because, although formal border settlements across Jonglei continued to report revenge attacks, was a key driver of population up the cost of transportation which posed an crossings have remained operational in insecurity (which includes killing, rape, fighting movement in both February and March, additional barrier for the poorest and most Akobo Town as of March, closure could result and looting), as the main IDP push factor in according to FGD participants displaced from 9 10 11 vulnerable populations. For example, FGD in a spike in informal crossings which raises March. The proportion of assessed settlement Duk, Twic East and Uror counties. In Twic participants displaced to Bor PoC from the protection concerns and could pose serious reporting this was particularly high in Fangak East County, the threat of Murle revenge settlements of Pieri, Padiek and Motot in Uror, health risks if a COVID-19 vector enters the County (100%), Ayod County (96%) and Canal/ attacks to rescue raided women, children and reportedly paid 20,000 South Sudanese Pound country unidentified. Furthermore, inbound Pigi County (84%). However, there were also cattle reportedly displaced around half of the (SSP) each for the two-day drive (the equivalent population movements may place additional sharp increases in the proportion of assessed population of Maar and Paliau settlements to 12 of between $60 and $70).15 pressure on already limited food supplies. Of the settlements reporting this in Uror and Nyirol either Bor Town or Mingkaman (Lakes State). assessed settlements reporting the presence counties between December and March, from Insecurity also reportedly drove cross-border Self-reported returns of returnees (both IDP and refugee) in Akobo 0% in both counties to 47% in Uror and 29% in population movement. FGD participants The proportion of assessed settlements County, 100% reported that returnees had had Nyirol. This was likely related to the continuation displaced from Akobo County reported that reporting the presence of refugee returnees and intensification of protracted intercommunal most people from the settlements of Nyandit, a negative impact on the ability of most people remained stable between December (37%), to access enough food in March. According to clashes throughout the reporting period. Kony, Mer and Gakdong fled to the refugee and March (34%). REACH Port and Road 13 FGD participants displaced from Ethiopia, most camps in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Monitoring (PRM) in Akobo Town tracks the In mid-February, intercommunal violence returnees were not registered for general food broke out in the settlements of Likuangole, movement of South Sudanese households While driving displacement, findings suggest distributions and had to