South Sudan Emergency Sudan 13 January 2014 Highlights Violence in South Sudan continues, with further internal displacement and refugee movements to neighbouring countries, including Sudan Reports of nearly 10,000 new arrivals in Sudan, including nomadic groups Some 64,000 newly arrived South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda Government of Sudan, UNHCR and partners are carrying out assessments, providing assistance and increasing preparedness for more arrivals Population figures Since the outbreak of violence in South Sudan on 15 December 2013, 355,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and remain internally displaced within South Sudan, with 69,000 sheltering in UNMISS bases. The latest figures for newly arrived South Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries are as follows: - some 39,000 in Uganda; - 18,616 in Ethiopia; - 6,778 in Kenya; and - some 10,000 in Sudan (including nomadic groups), of whom 1,371 individuals have been confirmed by the Government of Sudan as being refugees. In Sudan, there are confirmed (but in many cases unverified) reports of new arrivals in the following areas: South Kordofan State According to the Government Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), 979 people have arrived from Malakal and Kaka in Upper Nile State to Abu Jubaiha locality, South Kordofan, including 517 individuals in Qurayd village and 450 individuals in Judayd village, approximately 40km south of Abu Jubaiha town. In Talodi locality, 2,574 individuals have arrived in El Liri, approximately 60km north of the border with Upper Nile State. The majority are from a nomadic population affected by the fighting in the Unity and Upper Nile States, and many of them have been assessed by local authorities as having urgent humanitarian needs. West Kordofan State According to UNHCR Implementing Partner ASSIST, in early January, 1,537 people crossed the border from Pariang and Bentiu in Unity State, and are currently in El Meram, West Kordofan, near the border with East Darfur. These include 1,108 in an encampment (including 194 elders), and 429 integrated into local communities. Some 2,100 people have been confirmed by HAC and ASSIST as having arrived in Higlig, West Kordofan, approximately 100km northwest of Bentiu in Unity State. 128 people, including 74 combatants who have been disarmed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), have been relocated to Kharasana, Keilik locality approximately 40km north of Higlig, with the current number of refugees in Kharasana standing at 366. On 11 January, a further 116 combatants arrived in Kharasana, and have also been disarmed by the SAF. Abyei PCA Box On 7 January, according to ASSIST, approximately 2,000 individuals from Rokona in Aweil locality, Northern Bahr El Ghazal in South Sudan, crossed into Abyei, and are currently residing in the Debab villages of Temesha and Umgear, approximately 30km South East of El Meram.1 Other areas There are reports of over 200 new arrivals to the “open areas” in Khartoum from Upper Nile State. UNHCR is currently coordinating with partners to ascertain more comprehensive figures. According to HAC and UNHCR Implementing Partner AORD, 250 people (the majority of whom are children) have arrived in Blue Nile State through Sennar State from Upper Nile State in South Sudan. Unverified information also indicates that South Sudanese may have moved to areas closer to the border with Sudan by East Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan States, in order to be able to seek refuge in Sudan if fighting continues and the situation further deteriorates. There are to date no reports of Sudanese refugees in South Sudan crossing back into Sudan, although verification of the profile of arrival populations by UNHCR and partners has yet to take place to confirm this. Assessment 1 The Abyei PCA Box is a contested area as of yet undecided between Sudan and South Sudan. Humanitarian agencies provide assistance to Abyei from both Sudan and South Sudan. At present, UNHCR is monitoring the situation in the area from South Sudan. The Government of Sudan High Level Technical Committee will undertake an assessment mission to areas with reported refugee arrivals in West Kordofan State early this week. In conjunction with this mission, a cargo plane with 3.8 tonnes of transport capacity was made available by the Government for emergency transportation of assistance to arrivals in the area. UNHCR provided non-food items comprising 600 mosquito nets, 600 plastic sheets, 1,200 sleeping mats and 1,200 blankets. The mission’s assessment findings will contribute to response plans for the provision of further assistance by UNHCR and its partners for new arrivals from South Sudan in various parts of West Kordofan State. Preparedness The Office of the Commissioner of Refugees (COR) and UNHCR have assembled and convened a Joint Task Force for Contingency Planning, which is meeting regularly. As a result, a joint COR-UNHCR contingency plan has been developed, with a planning figure of 50,000 arrivals over a period of three months. The contingency plan is nearly finalized, following which further coordination with other humanitarian partners will take place, hopefully still this week. COR and UNHCR are also forming field monitoring teams to be deployed in the four current main areas of arrivals. Furthermore, and in close coordination with WFP, UNHCR is pre-positioning non-food items for 5,000 HH (25,000 individuals) in Kosti, White Nile State, and is in discussion with WFP for the pre-positioning of NFIs along with food to Abu Jubeiha to be able to more easily respond to the needs of new arrivals in West Kordofan State. Non-food items for 1,110 individuals in El Liri are currently being transported from El Obeid to El Liri to arrive this week. UNHCR is working through a national NGO partner, Mudabiroon, to distribute the NFIs to cater for the needs of refugees and members of nomadic groups whose humanitarian needs have already been assessed. Coordination UNHCR continues to coordinate closely with COR on all matters pertaining to the influx from South Sudan. UNHCR will hold meetings with relevant UN and NGO partners to update on the current status of arrivals and response in the coming days. A partner coordination meeting is planned for later this week, to further refine the elements of the response, assess capacities and determine any gaps. For further information, please contact: Karim Amer, Senior Programme Officer, UNHCR Khartoum [email protected] - +249-912-179-387 Nicolas Brass, External Relations Officer, UNHCR Khartoum [email protected] - +249-912-179-443 .