January 23, 2014

Highlights

International media report that opposition forces and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) signed a peace agreement on January 23.

Instability in Bor town, Jonglei State, and Malakal town, Upper Nile State, impedes humanitarian assistance.

Relief agencies provide safe drinking water to more than 102,000 people.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Insecurity and fighting continue to severely affect communities and impede humanitarian access across South Sudan, with violence displacing more than 580,000 people both internally and as refugees to neighboring countries as of January 19, according to the U.N.

The security situation remains unpredictable and tense in areas affected by violence, particularly in Bor and Malakal, with persistent reports of targeted killings, looting, destruction of property, and other abuses that have affected civilians.

Relief agencies remain concerned by recent fighting in Awerial County, Lakes State, where approximately 84,000 people have fled following violence in Jonglei and Unity states. Although humanitarian organizations have conducted rapid needs assessments and are closely monitoring fluid security conditions, recent insecurity has prompted some humanitarian personnel to relocate from conflict-affected areas.

Government of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) authorities and opposition group representatives signed a cessation of hostilities agreement on January 23, according to international media. Relief agencies continue to monitor potential changes in security and humanitarian conditions in South Sudan related to the signed agreement, as part of an overall commitment to provide needs-based assistance.

SITUATION, DISPLACEMENT, AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS UPDATE

As of January 16, violence had internally displaced approximately 494,000 people in South Sudan, with 67,400 people currently seeking shelter at UNMISS bases, according to the U.N. In the capital city of Juba, Central Equatoria State, women and children represent up to 80 percent of individuals sheltering at two UNMISS compounds—Tong Ping and U.N. House 3. Countrywide, the majority of displaced populations are located in Unity State, with approximately 117,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and Jonglei, with an estimated 114,500 people.

International media reports that the RSS has accused opposition forces of killing nearly 130 hospital patients in Bor.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that continued sporadic fighting, looting, and general instability in Malakal have significantly hampered the ability of humanitarian agencies to respond to needs of displaced people.

The U.N. estimates that approximately 20,000 people from South Sudan have arrived in South Kordofan, Western Kordofan, and White Nile states, as well as other areas in Sudan since hostilities began on December 15. The U.N. notes that the figure may change in the coming weeks, as full registration of arrivals is underway.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE ACTIVITIES

USAID/OFDA partner the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that relief agencies have vaccinated approximately 49,700 children aged 6 months to 15 years against measles and polio in IDP camps in Juba; Bentiu town, Unity State; and Awerial County, Lakes State. Children at the sites have also received vitamin-A supplements and deworming medications.

UNICEF has provided an estimated 102,000 people across South Sudan with 15 liters of safe drinking water per person per day.

A UNICEF charter flight arrived in Juba on January 21, bringing more than 70 MT of relief supplies—including 35 MT of health and nutrition supplies, large storage tents, tarpaulins, and medical kits—for distribution to vulnerable communities across South Sudan. UNICEF has scheduled a second flight for January 23.

Central Equatoria

Child protection concerns persist in the two UNMISS bases in Juba, Tong Ping and U.N. House 3, where relief organizations have identified more than 200 separated and unaccompanied children, as well as nearly 90 cases of missing children. UNICEF reports an increase of 11 percent in separated and unaccompanied children and an increase of 14 percent in missing children in Juba. Relief agencies are working to provide case management, including foster care placement, for missing, separated, and unaccompanied children. In FY 2014, USAID/OFDA is providing $1 million to help UNICEF support countrywide protection programs, such as child protection mechanisms, reunification services for separated families, and support systems for survivors of gender-based and sexual violence.

As a result of planned population relocations to decongest the UNMISS Tong Ping site, the population at UNMISS U.N. House 3 will likely increase in the coming weeks. The International Medical Corps (IMC) has established a new outpatient site at the first expansion plot for new arrivals at U.N. House 3.

IMC continues to provide primary health care services, including reproductive health, to IDPs at the U.N. House 3 UNMISS base. IMC plans to provide delivery services in the maternity ward in the coming months.

Lakes

IMC reports that violence that broke out on January 22 in Lakes State forced the evacuation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that were serving the large displaced population in Awerial. Humanitarian agencies continue to monitor the fluid security situation and will return following security stabilization.

The Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian camp coordination and management activities, comprising U.N. agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders—conducted an assessment with the Logistics Cluster and the Shelter Cluster in and around Mingkaman town, Awerial, between January 13 and 15. The clusters found significant shelter and registration gaps despite robust humanitarian response efforts that have taken place in the area. Most IDPs are sheltering under trees, with up to 25 people per tree in some locations.

Médecins Sans Frontières reports increased respiratory tract infections and cases of dehydration due to lack of adequate shelter. Shelter assistance for extremely vulnerable people, including women with newborns, is urgently required, according to the assessment. IDP site identification and planning is also required to relieve congestion. Contingency planning for prolonged displacement should include drainage channels, latrine construction, and resurfaced access roads, as the area will likely flood during the rainy season, according to the three clusters. Once the security situation stabilizes and humanitarian access is restored in Awerial, relief agencies will work to respond to the gaps identified during the assessment.

Jonglei

On January 21 at the Bor UNMISS base, USAID/FFP partner the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) completed a distribution of nutritional supplements, sufficient to meet the needs of more than 6,800 IDPs for one week. Although WFP had planned to provide food commodities to all 10,000 IDPs sheltering in the protection area, many IDPs did not come to the distribution site to collect the food rations. Additional distributions will require another trip to the Bor WFP warehouse, which can only occur when security permits.

UNICEF reports that host communities or relatives of displaced persons have absorbed the majority of the displaced in Lankien town, Nyirol County. UNICEF reports that the majority of IDPs in Lankien originate from Malakal.

Despite ongoing insecurity in Bor, relief agencies have constructed 75 latrines and delivered 48,000 liters of water to an estimated 9,000 IDPs—approximately 5 liters of water per person per day. UNICEF is working with international NGO International Aid Services to install a borehole to increase the safe drinking water supply to 100,000 liters, or 11 liters per person per day.

Unity

UNHCR reports that 99 percent of refugees in Yida—approximately 67,400 people—have received food rations. Relief agencies are currently operating boreholes that deliver 14 liters of water per person per day to refugees at Yida and 23 liters of water per person per day to refugees at Ajuong Thok.

Upper Nile

Humanitarian organizations continue to receive reports of children as young as 12 years old participating in fighting—by carrying guns and acting as porters carrying ammunitions—in Malakal. UNICEF has mobilized seven social workers from the IDP community to establish a system for the identification and registration of unaccompanied and separated children in Malakal. Relief agencies are also operating a child-friendly space at the UNMISS site, with 80 children participating in recreational activities.

Relief organizations are delivering between 75,000 to 100,000 liters of water to the IDP site at the UNMISS base daily in Malakal, where an estimated 22,000 people are sheltering. Humanitarian organizations have also constructed nearly 300 latrines and are working to construct nearly 20 total bathing units in the coming weeks.

IOM reports that ongoing insecurity in Malakal—the main entry point for relief stocks coming from Juba to Maban County—has impeded humanitarian assistance to refugees in Maban. IOM is working to identify alternative routes for the transport of fuel and other needed items for refugees in Maban.

With USAID/OFDA support, IOM has chartered flights to move stranded South Sudanese returnees out of the Malakal way station to other areas of South Sudan. As of January 22, approximately 200 South Sudanese returnees remained at the Malakal UNMISS base, awaiting onward transportation. IOM suspended flights from Malakal due to recent insecurity but plans to resume relocation efforts when security permits.

OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Since fighting began on December 15, USAID/OFDA has awarded nearly $2.5 million through the International Organization of Migration-managed Rapid Response Fund (RRF), with partners focusing on critical health, protection, relief item, and WASH needs among IDPs. On January 23, a local NGO received nearly $43,000 in RRF funding to implement child protection activities in Twic County, Warrap State, to respond to the recent influx of more than 3,000 IDPs. The NGO will provide child-friendly spaces, family tracing and reunification services, psychosocial support, and education in child protection and unexploded ordnance safety measures.

2013 TOTAL HUMANITARIAN FUNDING*

*Funding figures are as of January 23, 2014. All international figures are according to OCHA’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS) and based on international commitments during the 2013 and 2014 calendar years. USG figures are according to the USG and reflect the most recent USG commitments based on the 2013 fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2012, and ended September 30, 2013, as well as the 2014 fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2013.