Situation Overview: Greater Equatoria, South Sudan January - March 2019 Introduction Map 1: REACH assessment coverage of the Greater Equatoria region, January (A), February (B) and March 2019 (C) METHODOLOGY .Many of the positive trends in land access and (A) (B) To provideprovide anan overview overview of of the the situation situation in hard- protection that began in late 2018 continued to-reach areasareas ofof GreaterUnity State, Equatoria, REACH REACH uses through the first quarter of 2019. However, primaryuses primary data fromdata keyfrom informants key informants who havewho localised insecurity persisted in some areas of recentlyhave recently arrived arrived from, from, recently recently visited, visited, or Greater Equatoria, and effects of last year’s low receive regular information from a settlement harvest yield lingered into 2019, undermining or “Area of Knowledge” (AoK). Information for food security and livelihoods. (C) this report was collected from key informants (C) in BentiuYambio, PoC Maridi, site, andNyal Kapoeta Town and towns, Jamjang and To inform humanitarian actors working outside 0 - 4.4% 21 - 50% Townsupplemented in Unity withState phonein October, call Novemberinterviews formal settlement sites, REACH has conducted andconducted December out of 2018. Juba in January, February and 4.5 - 10% 51 - 100% assessments of hard-to-reach areas in South In-depthMarch 2019. interviews on humanitarian needs Sudan since December 2015. Data is collected 11 - 20% Assessed settlement wereIn-depth conducted interviews throughout on humanitarian the month needsusing on a monthly basis through interviews with awere structured conducted survey throughout tool. After the data month collection using key informants with knowledge of a settlement continued and new displacement resulted Alongside protection issues, food security wasa structured completed, survey all tool.data Afterwas dataaggregated collection at and triangulated with focus group discussions from insecurity in Yei county. Although 43% of was the most pressing issue in the region, with settlementwas completed, level, andall settlementsdata was aggregatedwere assigned at (FGDs). This Situation Overview uses this data assessed settlements saw returns from internal only 29% of assessed settlements reporting thesettlement modal orlevel, most and credible settlements response. were Whenassigned no to analyse changes in observed humanitarian displacement in March, in the same month 59% adequate access to food. Lack of rain during consensusthe modal or could most be credible found for response. a settlement, When that no settlementconsensus wascould not be included found for in a reporting. settlement, that needs across Greater Equatoria in the first of assessed settlements reported the presence the last harvest season has resulted in many settlement was not included in reporting. quarter of 2019. of IDPs, indicating that on the whole internal settlements depleting their stores ahead of lean Only counties with interview coverage of at displacement has not waned since last quarter. season, and extreme coping strategies, such leastOnly 5%counties of all withsettlements interview1 in coveragea given monthof at as selling livestock and consuming seeds, were wereleast 5%included of all in settlements analysis. Due1 in ato given access month and Key Findings Access to reliable shelter varied by population already being used in early 2019. operationalwere included constraints, in analysis. the specificDue to access settlements and A mixture of displacement and returns type. Host communities reported high use assessedoperational within constraints, each county the specific each month settlements vary. characterised the quarter, as self-reported of permanent or semi-permanent structures Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Inassessed order to within reduce each the countylikelihood each that month variations vary. refugee returnees crossing the border for shelter, but 41% of assessed settlements and health needs were most serious in the inIn dataorder are to reduceattributable the likelihoodto coverage that differences, variations overin data time are analysesattributable were to coverage only conducted differences, for # of key informant interviews conducted: 882 reported the main shelter type for IDPs to be Greater Kapoeta area, where the proportion less permanent shelters, such as rakoobas, of assessed settlements reporting latrine countiesover time with analyses at least were 70% only consistent conducted payam for3 # of assessed settlements: 823 2 tents, or abandoned buildings. use was low and healthcare facilities were coveragecounties withover atthe least period. 70% consistent payam ## ofof countieskey informant covered interviews out of 24: conducted: 937 frequently reported to be too far or nonexistent. Quantitativecoverage over findings the period. were triangulated with January 16 While security has improved overall, protection # of assessed settlements: 458 However, across Greater Equatoria overall and FGDsQuantitative and secondary findings sources. were triangulated with February 17 concerns including incidents harming civilians # of counties covered: 9 (of 9) compared to other assessed areas of South MoreFGDs detailsand secondary of the methodology sources. More can detailsbe found of March 19 continued as a result of localised insecurity in the methodology can be found in the AoK ToRs. # of focus group discussions conducted: 3 Sudan, a relatively high proportion of assessed in the AoK ToRs. # of focus group discussions conducted: 1 Yei and neighbouring counties to the west. 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. 2 “Payam” refers to the administrative unit below the county level. settlements reported access to health facilities Figure 1: Proportion of assessed settlements remained. In addition, outflows from Central in a continuing trend from last quarter. The (80%) and boreholes (83%). reporting IDP presence, March 2019 Equatoria to Uganda persisted as a result of vast majority of those transiting through were Similarly, education remained reportedly continued food insecurity. coming from Kakuma refugee camp, with most headed for Juba or Torit counties as their accessible for most assessed settlements 59% Yes Despite insecurity in the area, cross-border final destination. While the high proportion of (with 77% reporting access), but some areas, 41% No traffic from DRC and Uganda continued to inflows (68% of overall assessed movements) primarily in Greater Kapoeta, continued to take place throughout the Yei river valley, with 59+41+A seen in December, likely as a result of holiday report poor service availability. the majority of travellers aiming for Morobo, travels, died down in January and March to Figure 2: Proportion of assessed settlements though some were also continuing to Yei, reporting IDP returnee presence, March 2019 54% and 53%, February saw a similarly high Population Movement and Magwi, or Juba.12 While improved security led proportion of inflows (67%), possibly reflecting to an overall increase in cross-border mobility, Displacement efforts to travel before the onset of the rainy 43% Yes few of those crossing expressed an intent to There was reportedly a slight increase in season made roads impassable. overall cross-border travel throughout the first 57% No remain permanently in Central Equatoria. While most cross-border movement was short- quarter,3 though the majority of those crossing 43+57+A Most reported they were embarking on short- the border did not report that they were term travel, conducting business or accessing term throughout the region, the percentage 13 returning permanently, but were travelling for and February, which led to an increase in IDPs goods and services. of travellers interviewed in Kapoeta town 6 reportedly intending to stay for 6 months economic reasons, to briefly access services, fleeing to nearby towns and counties. Eastern Equatoria State or more at their final destination increased or to visit family. Some of the increase may Central Equatoria State have been driven by efforts to move before In Kapoeta town, where REACH monitors slightly from the levels seen towards the end of roads were impeded by the arrival of the Insecurity in Yei River State spiked again in cross-border movement between South 2018, with 46% of groups of transit travellers January and early February after a temporary rainy season.4 Despite this overall increase, Sudan and Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, and 21% of groups of arrivals to Kapoeta calm at the end of the last quarter, with the proportion of settlements assessed by levels of inflows modestly surpassed outflows town planning to stay 6 months or more in Onduraba in Juba county also affected by REACH reporting the presence of returning related insecurity.7 The insecurity in Yei Map 2: Percentage of assessed settlements in the Greater Equatoria region reporting IDP presence, South Sudanese refugees remained similar to March 2019. county caused a surge in internal and external last quarter, with 21% of assessed settlements displacement. Some fled to Yei town while reporting the presence of spontaneous others hid in the bush or travelled to across refugee returnees in March (compared to 29% the border,8 including to DRC where UNHCR in December).5 This may reflect the short-term reported 5,000 new arrivals in Ituri province.9 nature