IRNA Joint Flood Assessment Report Aweil West Flooding in Angol 8th Oct 2020 Northern Bahr el Ghazal South Sudan IRNA – Joint Flood Assessment Report, Aweil West October 8th and 9th, 2020 Background Aweil West County is currently projected to have a population of more than 296,950 people1. It is one of the 5 counties in the Northern Bar El Ghazal (NBeG) that borders Aweil North, Aweil East, Aweil Centre and Raga Counties. Community members depend on livestock production, farm produce, market purchases for their household livelihood. Other sources of income in the county include small-scale enterprises, fishing, charcoal trading and apiculture. As reported by RRC and County Agricultural Department, since September 2020, an estimated 2,422 households have been affected by flooding in areas along the River Lol, with households fleeing to higher ground to escape the rising waters; women and children are most affected. On 8th to 9th October Humanitarian partners from five different organisations, the RRC and County Agricultural Department launched Inter-agency Rapid Needs Assessment (IRNA) mission in 14 villages across seven of the most effected Payams. See table one below. Table One – IRNA Assessment Locations S/n Name of the village Payam County 1. Angol Gom Guer Center Aweil West 2. Abyei Gomguer Center Aweil West 3. Amatnyang Gomguer East Aweil West 4. Ameth Gomguer East Aweil West 5. Wathnyang Gomguer West Aweil West 6. Akuaklang Gomguer West Aweil West 7. Mabior Ngor Ayat East Aweil West 8. Gukic Ayat East Aweil West 9. Makuoc Ayat Center Aweil West 10. Wungiir Ayat Center Aweil West 11. Mayom Kou Ayat West Aweil West 12 Mayom Agep Ayat West Aweil West 13. Angor Chok Gore Aweil West 14. Maper Pami Gore Aweil West Due to the extensive flooding and the limited capacity of the partaking partners, two villages were selected in each Payam, to be used as a sample and to get an overview of the situation in Aweil West. The selection of the villages was based on accessibility, estimated acreage and the estimated number of households affected by flooding. For a more extensive list of impacted villages, please see Annex One attached which has been provided by the local County Agriculture Department. The methodology used during the assessment includes, key informant interviews (KII) with local authorities and community leaders, interviews with members of the affected population and interviews with vulnerable groups such as women, elderly, children and the people living with disabilities. Additionally, observation was used to gauge and understand the humanitarian situation in the affected areas. In regard to access, although most teams were able to get close to the villages by vehicle, some villages (Makuoc, Angol, Ameth, Makek Mayar) required that the teams wade through water to reach, while others like Angol, Amet and Amatnyang were only reachable by boat. All areas would normally be accessible by vehicle. The security situation was also calm during the assessment. 1 South Sudan National Bureau of Statistics/United Nations as cited by CWW south Sudan context analysis IRNA – Joint Flood Assessment Report, Aweil West County October 8th and 9th, 2020 Map One – OCHA Mapping of Aweil West Highlights Displacement from the village was noted in over half of the villages surveyed, while one third of the villages were hosting people from other areas. All the villages had residents with children under the age of 18 and people over the age of 60. Based on KII interviews with community leaders and affected people, it is estimated that 2,422 households have been impacted by the flooding in Aweil West county. Most of the villages sampled indicated that their food stock; especially Cereals, Pulses and Legumes would only last for a duration of 1-2 weeks. There are some noted exceptions where they state that there are supplies for less than one week. There seems to be significant outbreaks of malaria with all but two villages noting instances of it. Seven villages noted more than 40 cases in the last seven days NFIs, particularly blankets, plastic sheeting and mats are required since many households were displaced by the flooding. All except three villages had mosquito nets, although quality and quantity per household is unclear. To provide humanitarian assistance, there is needs for independent registration to verify the exact number of affected populations. The security situation was calm at the time of assessment Scope of the crisis and humanitarian profile A total of 14 locations were physically assessed by the assessment team. Local authorities and some affected people interviewed indicated that most of the lowland areas in Aweil West County have been affected at a varying degree, with an unspecified number of people displaced from their homes. Since the assessment the situation in terms of flooding has slightly improved, however villages are still severely impacted and should the heavy rains continue it’s likely that the already saturated ground will flood further. County Agriculture Department (CAD) data indicates that an estimated 2,422 households across 118 villages2 were impacted by the flooding. Data on the number of people displaced was not available at the time. In FGDs and interviews, an unspecified number of houses were reported to have been submerged and families’ members were forced to seek shelter with relatives and friends. In the 14 villages assessed an estimated 259 households were impacted. Some of the interviewed displaced families reported that their farms and homes were submerged in water forcing them to seek shelter from relatives and friends. Women, children and the elderly are the most affected. 2 Population across 118 villages is 31,975 people according to CAD Data IRNA – Joint Flood Assessment Report, Aweil West County October 8th and 9th, 2020 Status of the population in the affected area Villages are currently relying on their own production for Sorgum and Maize, with most villages saying that they have one to two weeks supplies left in stock. Access to the markets have been interrupted mostly due to road access constraints, while agriculture activities have also been affected in most villages assessed, especially in Anyuopjang, Anguerchok, Amatnyang, Langaken, Makuoc, Marialbai, Mabior Ngor and Maper Pami. In most assessed areas the teams saw significant flooding, with access points submerged requiring the teams to wade through water. Gardens have been submerged in water, while there has also been extensive reporting of property damage. In one village alone (Agor), 72 Tukuls were reported to have been severely damaged by floods. Some villages have noted that the displaced in said villages are now depending on the host community, with all these communities stating that they are willing to help where possible. Over 50% of villages surveyed stated that people have moved away due to flooding. Some key informants stated that some people in their villages had resorted to coping strategies with most revolving around decreasing the consumption of food, either by eating smaller meals, not eating the whole day or skipping meals. In the seven days prior to the assessment, there was a significant number of cases of malaria with the flood providing a conductive environment for the breeding of mosquitoes. Respiratory infections and diarrhoea were also a concern with a number of cases noted in all villages. A total of six villages also noted issues with skin diseases. The affected communities have limited access to health services since the flood cut off community access roads. Most people now take 1 to 2 hours to reach a health facility. Key findings Food security and livelihoods Key findings Food security; Household food security is likely to be compromised as there are reports of crop damage and livestock deaths. Access to markets has also been restricted due to accessibility issues. Villages have noted that food reserves will last for one to two weeks according to some of the affected household members interviewed. Livelihoods and coping: Currently, most of the households derive food from their own garden with Sorghum being the main crop. Most interviewed affected households and host families have reported restricting food consumption and reducing the number of meals consumed. Fishing: Despite the flooding only about half of the villages had used fishing as a source of food. Three villages listed the need for fishing equipment as a priority. Household purchasing power; Floods might cut off some villages from the main market. Supply to the main market might decline due to accessibility constraints. Prices of food and non-food items are expected to increase. All these factors are likely to compromise household purchasing power. Priorities for Immediate Humanitarian response Immediate provision of food assistance to the most affected and displaced communities. Where possible, agricultural inputs mostly vegetable seeds can be provided by end of November, households will be able to utilize the swamps for watering vegetable through the dry season. Fishing kits to the affected households in areas with fishing potential to enable them take advantage of the seasonal fishing. Cash transfer to the most affected Households. Rehabilitation of damaged storage facilities using CFW/A approach. Floods awareness creation through radio and community-based disaster risk reduction committees Incentives to the SMEs. Need for increased access to veterinary services and supplies. Health Key findings High case of malaria and diarrheal diseases; those surveyed reported about 2,307 cases of malaria, 2,034 respiratory infections and 804 cases of diarrheal diseases in the last seven days. This could not be verified. IRNA – Joint Flood Assessment Report, Aweil West County October 8th and 9th, 2020 HPF run health facilities continue to provide health services in most parts of Aweil West. Concern Worldwide is operating mobile health clinics in Ajok Akuak Rel, a location accessible to flood affected people in Ayat centre.