March 14, 2014

Highlights

Humanitarian access deteriorates across South Sudan as local authorities impede the transport of relief supplies.

Heavy rainfall destroys internally displaced person (IDP) shelters in the capital of Juba.

Emergency medical assistance and primary health care services benefit more than 559,000 people in South Sudan.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Vulnerable populations continue to flee ongoing fighting in South Sudan, with violence displacing nearly 931,000 people—including both IDPs and refugees fleeing to neighboring countries—since December 15, according to the U.N.

Increasing harassment, unauthorized demands for payment, and incidents of violence against humanitarian convoys and relief workers continue to delay the transportation and delivery of emergency relief supplies throughout South Sudan. International humanitarian organizations also report increased incidents of physical assault and robbery of aid workers during transport of relief commodities, particularly in Juba town, Central Equatoria State.

With the advancing April-to-August rainy season, relief agencies are implementing urgent improvements to existing IDP sites and working to alleviate overcrowding at UNMISS bases in Bor town, Jonglei State; Juba; and Malakal town, Upper Nile State. On March 7, heavy rainfall destroyed approximately 20 percent of shelters at the UNMISS Tong Ping site in Juba and exacerbated already fragile living conditions, demonstrating the urgent need to improve IDP sites in the coming weeks, according to the U.N.

In an effort to mitigate a potentially worsening food security situation related to the approaching rainy season, the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) is working closely with the U.N. and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners in Juba to address access issues, pre-positioning of food commodities, and distribution of additional emergency relief supplies to vulnerable households in the coming weeks.

INSECURITY, DISPLACEMENT, AND ACCESS CONSTRAINTS UPDATE

Ongoing insecurity, notably in Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states, continues to displace populations across South Sudan, with an estimated 708,900 people internally displaced and more than 222,000 additional people seeking refuge in neighboring countries, according to the U.N. The majority of populations displaced within South Sudan have fled to rural areas where access constraints continue to hinder humanitarian response.

Active fighting has resulted in completely inaccessible conditions in at least three counties—Duk County, Jonglei; Fashoda County, Upper Nile; and Leer County, Unity, according to the U.N. Relief agencies report that fighting in Unity’s Guit, Leer, and Koch counties has resulted in an upsurge of IDPs seeking refuge in the UNMISS base in Bentiu town, Unity.

Humanitarian access impediments increased during the week of March 10, with local Government of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) authorities delaying or preventing several aid convoys and one humanitarian flight from reaching areas of operation. The U.N. notes that local officials have increasingly searched vehicles and seized humanitarian assets, frequently demanding illegal fees and intimidating aid staff or transporters. According to international media, increased RSS-imposed restrictions follow the discovery of unreported weapons in an UNMISS convoy on March 5 in Rumbek town, Lakes State. U.N. officials report that the incident has inflamed tensions between the RSS and U.N. agencies and severely impeded humanitarian operations countrywide.

Relief agencies note that the imposition of illegal taxes has severely limited the transport of humanitarian supplies along several key roads, increasing reliance on costly air assets and hampering pre-positioning efforts. Although access constraints are particularly acute in Unity and Upper Nile, humanitarian actors have also reported increased checkpoints and intimidation along major roads in Warrap, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Western Equatoria states.

HUMANITARIAN NEED ASSESSMENTS AND RESPONSE ACTIVITIES

Despite severe access constraints, relief agencies have provided emergency assistance—including food rations, health care services, protection, shelter, and WASH support—to more than 559,000 people across South Sudan, according to the U.N. However, humanitarian actors remain unable to fully meet needs among assisted populations due to insecurity and a lack of sustained, predictable access, according to the U.N.

Relief agencies continue to identify vulnerable communities requiring humanitarian assistance and assess the most critical needs. On March 7, aid agencies assessed needs on the islands of the White Nile River between Awerial County, Lakes, and Bor South County, Jonglei. Preliminary findings estimate that between 30,000 and 60,000 people are sheltering on these islands, and humanitarian organizations are currently registering populations for relief assistance.

Rapid needs assessments conducted in Upper Nile’s Dethoma town, Melut County, indicate that approximately 20,000 people have sought shelter in the area in recent weeks due to fighting in Malakal and Melut counties. Humanitarian organizations are responding to key needs, including food, household items, shelter, and safe drinking water.

USAID/OFDA partner Medair conducted a needs assessment of the nearly 2,000 IDPs sheltering in Wonthow town, Upper Nile, located near the Sudan–South Sudan border. According to Medair, the primary needs are emergency health care, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance. The majority of assessed IDPs fled from nearby Renk town, Upper Nile, due to increased fear of instability, resulting in a population increase of nearly 86 percent in Wonthow since early February. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) plans to begin registering IDPs in the coming days to identify additional needs and prioritize response activities.

CAMP COORDINATION AND CAMP MANAGEMENT

Since March 7, heavy rainfall in Juba has resulted in deteriorating conditions at the UNMISS Tong Ping site, where flooding has destroyed approximately 20 percent of the IDP shelters and more than 150 latrines, resulting in inadequate shelter and access to sanitation facilities for IDPs, according to relief agencies. In addition, an outpatient health care clinic has flooded, severely constraining access to basic health care services.

With USAID/OFDA support, IOM is assisting with the voluntary transport of IDPs from Tong Ping to the U.N. House 3 UNMISS base in Juba. IOM expects that up to 3,000 IDPs could relocate to U.N. House 3 over the coming weeks, while humanitarian organizations continue efforts to expand IDP sites and mitigate risks related to overcrowding. IOM is also using USAID/OFDA-supplied shelter materials—including 4,300 tarps and 350 rolls of plastic sheeting—to reinforce damaged shelters and assist the estimated 8,700 IDPs currently living in flooded areas.

Through the USAID/OFDA-supported Rapid Response Fund (RRF)—an IOM-managed mechanism that enables quick and agile responses to acute crises—international NGO Concern is responding to IDP needs at U.N. House 3 by distributing emergency shelter materials and helping ensure that shelters are reinforced to mitigate the impact of the rains<./p>

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—immediately implemented additional stopgap strategies, including the construction of drainage channels and the distribution of shelter kits. Relief agencies are assisting with family relocation plans and raising ground levels, through sandbag distributions, to reinforce remaining shelters.

FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS

Relief agencies are providing emergency food assistance to more than 3,000 people in Bor who fled fighting in Jonglei’s Duk and Twic East counties in recent days. Meanwhile, second-round food distributions reached approximately 74,000 people in Mingkaman town, Awerial. As of March 10, humanitarian organizations had provided emergency food aid to nearly 452,000 people countrywide, while food assistance was provided to approximately 336,000 additional food-insecure individuals, such as refugees and displaced populations in Abyei Area.

Relief agencies have delivered emergency livelihoods kits—including vegetable seeds, hand tools, and fishing gear—to more than 3,600 families in Central Equatoria and Jonglei, aiming to reach approximately 20,700 households by June. In addition, humanitarian organizations are distributing fishing equipment to nearly 4,200 flood-affected and displaced families in Warrap.

The South Sudan Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) has allocated $10 million of the CHF to the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster to prevent a decline in food security conditions in South Sudan. The Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster recommends that relief agencies use CHF support for operations in the three most conflict-affected states—Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile—and focus on increasing access to food and delivery of critical productive inputs to protect livelihoods, such as agricultural production and fishing. Proposed interventions include support to the core pipeline for pre-positioning livelihoods inputs—including seeds, tools, and fishing gear—and cash-based programs to improve households’ access to food.

HEALTH

Since December 15, the Health Cluster has reached more than 559,000 people in conflict-affected areas with critical health care services, including emergency medical support, primary and reproductive health care, measles and polio vaccinations, and support for individuals injured by fighting. Relief agencies continue to administer oral cholera vaccinations at the U.N. House 3 UNMISS site in Juba, reaching more than 7,400 people to date.

The Health Cluster is mobilizing a mental health specialist to strengthen psychological support mechanisms and response activities for people affected by violence.

LOGISTICS AND RELIEF COMMODITIES

Despite humanitarian access impediments, particularly to opposition-held areas, nearly 341,000 people have received shelter support and household kits to help improve living conditions for conflict-affected families since December 15. Since early March, humanitarian organizations facilitated the airlift of approximately 65 metric tons (MT) of life-saving food rations and non-food relief supplies to multiple locations in Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile.

The Logistics Cluster is collaborating closely with OCHA and UNMISS to organize armed escort convoys and enhanced force protection to improve the safety of overland and riverine transport of relief commodities and protect humanitarian resources in South Sudan.

PROTECTION

Relief agencies continue to respond to persistent civilian protection concerns, providing protection activities—such as psychosocial support, family reunification, and gender-based violence prevention and response—for more than 320,000 individuals countrywide as of March 13. Humanitarian organizations have implemented family tracing and reunification systems in four locations across South Sudan, and the Protection Cluster is deploying additional personnel to Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile to enhance child protection activities due to a high number of unaccompanied children observed in these areas.

WASH

Relief agencies have provided water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support for approximately 247,000 IDPs sheltering at 20 displacement sites since December 15. Humanitarian organizations continue efforts to expand access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, construct bathing shelters, and conduct hygiene promotion activities to ensure safe hygiene practices and mitigate risks associated with potential disease outbreaks.

With support from the USAID/OFDA-funded RRF, IOM is providing life-saving WASH assistance to approximately 21,600 IDPs sheltering at the Malakal UNMISS base. IOM is trucking water from an UNMISS treatment plant to water points inside IDP site and has improved water infrastructure by installing large water storage tanks near existing water wells. IOM’s activities have led to a significant increase in safe drinking water capacity, with IDPs’ access to safe drinking water currently meeting minimum international emergency standards. In addition, USAID/OFDA partners IOM and World Vision are supporting hygiene promotion activities and distributing relief item and hygiene kits to IDPs at the UNMISS base.

OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

To date, international donors have provided approximately $286 million—or 22.5 percent of the $1.27 billion total requested funding—to support humanitarian activities through the South Sudan Crisis Response Plan. In the coming days, the CHF is providing a total of $20 million for aid agencies to support food security, livelihoods, and shelter interventions, as well as the provision of emergency relief supplies. According to the U.N., funding gaps will hamper the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide child protection services, as well as health care services to IDPs in Bor and Malakal towns.

*Funding figures are as of March 7, 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.