SUDAN UN Resident Coordinator’s Support Office And UNMIS Humanitarian Early Recovery & Reintegration Joint Weekly Report 10-18 October, 2009 The Three Transitional Areas ABYEI RECOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT Situation Analysis: Abyei area remains calm. Underlying tensions continue regarding PCA ruling; particularly among the among Misseriya hard-liners, refuting the PCA ruling and the presence of Border Demarcation Teams [BDTs] in the area. The Abyei Administration and UN are monitoring the situation on the ground. More effort is been put in peace and reconciliation activities and planning in support of security during approaching migration season. Post the 6 Presidential Decrees on administrative status of Abyei area, including up-grading of Civil Administrator and his Deputy to Governor/ Deputy Governor, and Department Secretaries to Ministries, more clarity is required on effect and practical implementation of these reforms. One of these measures is a change in the Administrative subdivision of the area, creating standard admin. Units- Counties [3; previously non- existing], Payams [9; current subdivision is in 5 SPLM- created Payams, covering an area which is not trespassing Alaal- approx. 30 Km North- West of Abyei town; areas further north will therefore be included in the new subdivision] and Boumas [27]. This is the Administrative structure used in southern Sudan. Reconciliation/ peaceful coexistence: Abyei Administration continues coordination for the Inter- Sate Governors’ Summit (Abyei, Southern Kordofan, Warrab, Unity and Northern Bahr el Ghazal); supported by UNMIS- CAD. Abyei Governor intents to hold a 2- States meeting [Abyei- Southern Kordofan], before hosting the 5- Sates Summit; preparations are under way to set a meeting with Southern Kordofan Governor. Population Movement: Migration: Miysseria migration towards Abyei area has commenced however, no entry into Abyei area has been reported as yet. Return-process: Efforts continue at sector level to improve: - Water and Sanitation: Access to Clean Water and Sanitation. Boreholes and water points are needed to support the humanitarian needs of returning populations and the seasonal migration. Sites will be identified jointly by UNICEF and the Department of Infrastructure and Facilities. The UN will engage government at all levels in reducing delays and preventing efforts to construction the needed water points. Plans to complete family latrines, clean-up the Abyei hospital and the training of hygiene promoters on water chlorination and the maintenance of water pumps should be implemented. - Health: Improve Access to Primary Health Care (PHC) and Nutrition Services, Prevent Epidemics. Strengthen existing sites (clinics), mobile clinics and nutrition services to remote areas. WHO to continue to build the capacity of MoH to implement the components of the Integrated PHC package, with special attention to Mother and Child Health. Ensure a well-performing and stable Surveillance System for Epidemics in Abyei to enhance targeted response, increase availability of data for planning; provide government with an Early Warning System for crisis prevention/ response. - Food Assistance: Meet Food Security Needs of Returning Populations and Seasonal Migrations. WFP will continue to deliver 3-month food rations in centralized locations to support returning populations and to avoid situations that may encourage resettlement. In support of the children of nomadic populations, food for education programmes that accompany migrating groups will continue. WFP main plan is to gradually shift from Food Assistance to Food Recovery; promoting small projects that can gradually re- build population resilience and support general effort to increase livelihoods in Abyei area. This includes continued support for WFP and FAO agricultural activities: community farming through the distribution of irrigation pumps, seeds and tools; irrigation programmes; livelihoods activities; fisheries through the distribution of fish nets; and small livestock- keeping projects (including vaccination activities for nomadic cattle). - Infrastructure and Basic Services: Continue Current/Existing Core Infrastructure and Basic Services Projects. Implement on- going projects to support communities that are cut-off due to rainy season (including the provision of river boats) .UNDP to continue to support the JIPUs (rehabilitation of Police stations in Abyei town and Agok town), construct new government buildings (e.g. Offices of the Abyei Administration) and upgrade Abyei market. Future plans in infrastructures would have to target interventions that expand livelihoods opportunities and economic development, such as women or 'skills development' centres, major interventions in the market area and improved infrastructures for rural community development. - Education: Ensure that the children of returnees and nomadic populations have access to Quality Education: This implies continued support for teachers and PTA training; implementation of WFP’s Food for Education; the provision of educational material by UNICEF and water-sanitation programmes for nomadic schools. - Protection: Mainstream protection components in all UNCT activities: emphasising on activities that build the capacity of Department of Social Welfare in Child Protection and positive discrimination in projects, especially those that provide female heads of households with access to livelihoods. Continue joint efforts between UNMIS-PoC/ HR, UNICEF- CP and UNDP-RoL to train the JIPUs and improve government capacity to prevent violence, to protect civilians and to promote and respect human rights. Returnee registration: On Oct. 15, RCO/RRR and IOM met with the SSRRC/ HAC to present the Tracking and Monitoring proposed modality. - To strengthen the current registration modality, IOM will train Field Monitors in rural areas, who will register new arrivals and monitor their reintegration. - In addition WFP is looking into establishing a new system to re- register IDPs, who were effected by the multiple displacements during the last 15 months. Basically to avoid the usage of Food Rations Cards in areas different of the initial registration. Reception Mechanism for Returnees: RRR/RCSO is advocating for an all representative Reception Committees at 'Bouma' level, to receive, and monitor reintegration of returnees in final areas of destination, Migration and peaceful coexistence. UNCT and partners are to identify possible location for the Distribution Centres, look into the composition of committees and their role. - Agency are to build committees capacity, according to their respective Return mandates. IOM in collaboration with RRR/RCO, in coordination with local authorities, will identify Field Monitors to be trained in Tracking and Monitoring of returnees. Erratum: last week The Mysseria traditional leader Amir Mukhtar was present at the conference; HUMANITARIAN DEVELOPMENTS Health and Nutrition- WHO started coordination to implement CHF- funded proposal to increase access to Primary Health for nomads and returnees. GOAL has commenced the procurement for vehicles and equipment for 2 mobile clinics. WHO will train and build the capacity of MOH in different Primary Health Care sectors. Health partners followed-up need of vaccines, which is affecting EPI operations for the past 3 weeks in Abyei. Transport of vaccines from Kadugli- Muglad was delayed, but the cargo has reached Muglad and expected in Abyei early next week. UNMIS flights will in future delivery vaccines in order to ensure continued essential supplies. Funds to put in place a Surveillance System in Abyei have been secured and programme will start the beginning of November. During reporting period International Health Alliance [IHA] conducted HIV/ AIDS awareness and prevention training- Mother to Child Transmission [MTCT]. This is the first training of its kind conducted in the area, IHA reported that it was well received by the beneficiaries both in number of attendees their level of interaction. Food Security; on the 13th of October WFP concluded the Crops Assessment in Abyei. The assessment covered more than 20 rural locations, affirming that priority are for families who returned to villages North of the River Kier/ Bahr el Arab which are secure and deliver of basic services, particularly health, education, and shelter. Approximately 20,000 IDPs are still living South of the River Kiir/ Bahr el Arab, mainly because of perceived insecurity and fragile stability in the area; majority of people still rely on food aid and crop failure due to relatively poor rainfall this season, which might provide low harvest. Shelter and NFIs- On the 16th of October RCO/RRR met with Unity state based INGO- NPA, who reported that the availability of 2000 NFI kits (plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, jerry cans and fishing equipments) a 2 Norwegian donation. - RCO/ RRR requested that the items to be distributed to local vulnerable population, including IDPs, by the end of rainy season (November) in response to damages due to the heavy rains. - Stock items are being transport to Abyei town; NPA will start distributions by mid November. The INGO is also evaluating possibility of establishing permanent presence in Abyei, with programs targeting shelter and livelihoods activity. Protection: In a meeting with Department of Social Services- Social Welfare Directorate, requested the International community in Abyei to take charge both financially and as ‘care takers’ of protection. SECURITY ISSUES JIPU: