July 11, 2014

Highlights

Relief actors scale up health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) response activities at the UNMISS protection of civilians (PoC) site in Bentiu town, Unity State.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to relocate from the UNMISS Tomping base to the new PoC 3 site at U.N. House.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

As reported cases of cholera steadily increase in areas outside of Juba County, Central Equatoria State, relief agencies continue efforts to improve health and WASH conditions to curb the spread of the disease. Humanitarian organizations are urgently responding to increased cases of cholera in Wau Shilluk town, Upper Nile State, where nearly 700 suspected cases were reported as of July 10.

In response to increased food insecurity in parts of Unity, relief actors are scaling up food and nutrition assistance in affected areas. Ongoing response activities include blanket and targeted supplementary feeding programs, livelihood kit distributions, malnutrition screenings, and outpatient nutrition treatment for pregnant and lactating women.

On July 10, State/PRM announced an additional $21.6 million in humanitarian assistance to support refugees and IDPs in South Sudan and South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. The funding will support international organization and non-governmental organization (NGO) efforts to assist IDPs and refugees by improving access to safe drinking water, food, health care, and essential household items, as well as supporting employment training, preventing gender-based violence (GBV), and increasing child protection.

INSECURITY, DISPLACEMENT, AND ACCESS CONSTRAINTS

Clashes and food insecurity in South Sudan since December 15 have displaced more than 1.5 million people, according to the U.N. Of the total, more than 1.1 million people are internally displaced, and nearly 403,000 people have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

Tensions remain high in many areas of South Sudan, with insecurity continuing to negatively impact livelihoods and relief activities. In early July, clashes and military mobilization occurred in and around Bentiu town, Unity, as well as in several locations in Upper Nile, according to the U.N.

The U.N. reports that approximately 113,000 people previously internally displaced have returned to areas of origin in Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and Jonglei states.

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND RESPONSE ACTIVITIES

Rapid response teams are increasing relief agency capacity to reach vulnerable populations, many facing severe food insecurity, in hard-to-reach areas of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile. Relief organizations reached an additional 22,000 people in remote locations between July 3 and 10, bringing the total number of people assisted through U.N.-led rapid response mechanisms since March to approximately 736,300, according to the U.N.

On June 28, a rapid assessment team visited Gorwai town, Ayod County, Jonglei, identifying displaced people from Ayod town residing among the host community and in need of urgent food assistance. Relief actors distributed food items to nearly 50 families remaining in Ayod town.

Assessment teams report approximately 37,000 people in need of assistance in Nhialdiu town, Unity, according to the U.N. Relief actors have provided food commodities, as well as health, nutrition, protection, and WASH services, but note that a scale up in assistance is needed. The provision of assistance may be drawing populations to the location from neighboring areas; the number of people registered for assistance more than doubled from 15,000 to 37,000 between July 3 and 10, according to the U.N.

CAMP COORDINATION AND CAMP MANAGEMENT

Relief agencies continue efforts to decongest Juba’s Tomping PoC site by relocating IDPs to the new U.N. House PoC 3 site. As of July 9, nearly 1,000 people had relocated from Tomping to U.N. House PoC 3, with additional IDPs planning to relocate in the coming days, according to the U.N.

In the Bentiu PoC site, where approximately 40,600 IDPs are sheltering, relief actors are working to identify additional space for a possible additional influx of 14,000 people, according to the U.N. Humanitarians are seeking to extend the PoC site and are working quickly to construct additional latrines and boreholes and establish mobile health care clinics, while UNMISS works to repair interior roads affected by flooding.

As of July 3, approximately 11,500 IDPs had relocated from the existing PoC site at the UNMISS base in Malakal town, Upper Nile, to the new PoC area, which is better suited to host displaced populations.

AGRICULTURE, FOOD SECURITY, AND NUTRITION

Food insecurity in South Sudan continues to force thousands of people to leave their homes in search of food assistance, particularly in Unity. The U.N. reports that more than 2,000 children in Leer County, Unity, are currently receiving treatment for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). In addition, nutrition actors are providing assistance to more than 800 children experiencing SAM at a newly constructed third outpatient treatment center in the Bentiu PoC.

Although moderate rains continued across South Sudan in late June, insecurity and related food and seed shortages affected cultivation activities in Jonglei, Lakes, Unity, and Upper Nile states, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). Despite favorable weather conditions, most IDPs in the Malakal PoC site were unable to cultivate due to insecurity. However, following recent humanitarian seed distributions at the Malakal site, some farmers traveled to their fields in Wau Shilluk during the day to plant sorghum, according to FEWS NET.

In addition, approximately 40 percent of the population in Nyirol County, Jonglei, was unable to cultivate due to seed shortages. FEWS NET reports that households in Unity’s Koch County have less time to engage in agricultural activities due to time spent searching for food, likely reducing the yields of future harvests.

The Government of Sudan and the Government of the Republic of South Sudan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on July 8 granting the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) permission to transport humanitarian cargo by road and river from Sudan across the border to South Sudan, according to local media. The MoU is valid for six months and calls for both governments to provide for the safety and security of cross-border humanitarian convoys, which will transport cereals, vegetable oil, and other food commodities to populations in need. The two governments are currently working on an implementation plan for the agreement.

Staple food prices varied considerably across the country in May, FEWS NET reports. The highest and most variable prices were identified in conflict-affected areas of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile, where violence since December has destroyed markets. In addition, heavy rainfall has further restricted market access in many areas due to deteriorating road conditions.

To date in FY 2014, USAID/OFDA has provided $6 million to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for humanitarian activities in South Sudan, which include the distribution of seeds and tools to displaced and vulnerable populations across South Sudan. In addition, USAID/OFDA partner CARE is supporting vulnerable populations in Jonglei’s Twic East and Uror counties with the distribution of fast-maturing vegetable seeds, crop seeds, and planting tools.

HEALTH AND WASH

Health actors continue to report new cholera cases in South Sudan, with nearly 3,200 suspected and confirmed cases—including 70 cholera-related deaths—reported between April 23 and July 9, according to the U.N. Relief agencies continue to scale up surveillance, prevention, and treatment activities to address the spread of the disease, particularly in areas outside of Juba County, including Torit County, Eastern Equatoria State, and Wau Shilluk. At 2.3 percent, the case fatality rate remains above the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) emergency threshold of 1 percent.

Between July 3 and 10, relief actors reported nearly 700 suspected cholera cases in Wau Shilluk, including 18 cholera-related deaths. The U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and international NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are quickly responding to the increased cholera caseload, and MSF has set up a cholera treatment center (CTC) in the area.

Health actors continue to track the spread of cholera in UNMISS PoC sites. As of July 6, relief agencies had confirmed 11 cases of cholera in the Bentiu PoC site following rapid diagnostic testing, according to WHO. In addition, health actors reported 14 suspected cases of cholera in the Malakal PoC site. Health actors have established CTCs in the Bentiu and Malakal PoC sites to manage cases.

Despite the ongoing cholera outbreak, cases of acute watery diarrhea among IDPs continue to decline countrywide, due in part to strong WASH interventions, according to the U.N.

Health actors are responding to the steady increase in the number of reported Hepatitis E cases in Mingkaman town, Lakes, since the first reported cases in March. As of June 26, health facilities had recorded nearly 50 cases of Hepatitis E in Mingkaman and four Hepatitis E-related deaths, three of which were pregnant women, the U.N. reports. In response, health agencies are targeting vulnerable populations—including pregnant women—with awareness-building activities to support early diagnosis and treatment, increasing hygiene promotion activities, and improving sanitation facilities and access to safe drinking water.

USAID/OFDA partner Action Against Hunger/United States (AAH/USA) recently deployed a 40-person Nutrition Emergency Team (NET) to the Bentiu PoC site to address increasing levels of malnutrition. The NET plans to deliver approximately 1,000 boxes of ready-to-use therapeutic foods in the coming weeks to treat malnourished children at the site. In addition, the NET plans to run three therapeutic outpatient clinics, as well as a stabilization center to treat children experiencing malnutrition with medical complications. AAH/USA reports it has the capacity to support more than 1,500 malnourished children over three months.

As of July 3, relief actors had reached approximately 1.9 million conflict-affected people with WASH services, according to the U.N. Humanitarians continue to scale up WASH interventions at the Bentiu PoC site, increasing IDP access to safe drinking water. With the construction of additional latrines at the site, there is currently one latrine per 109 people in the PoC area—an improvement since June 20, when the PoC area contained one latrine per 234 individuals.

PROTECTION

Protection concerns including, GBV, forced recruitment of children into armed groups, and increasing numbers of unaccompanied and separated minors, persist in conflict-affected areas of South Sudan. In response, humanitarian agencies are supporting protection activities to support vulnerable populations. Protection actors recently conducted child-protection awareness training for approximately 1,400 individuals and provided psychosocial support to more than 41,000 children in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity, and Upper Nile, according to the U.N.

In early July, USAID/FFP partner WFP installed a grinding mill in Juba’s Tomping PoC site. The machine will improve the protection situation for IDPs sheltering at the site by enabling them to grind cereals inside the PoC area, which reduces the need to venture outside the UNMISS compound, where IDPs may face increased protection risks, such as harassment or GBV.

LOGISTICS AND RELIEF COMMODITIES

For the first time since the beginning of the crisis in December 2013, humanitarian barges carrying 1,200 metric tons (MT) of food aid departed Juba town for Malakal and Melut towns, Upper Nile. However, the barge convoy is on hold pending the repair of the pusher required to move the barges north on the river.

Between July 3 and 10, the Logistics Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian logistics activities, comprising U.N. agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders—facilitated the delivery of approximately 120 MT of humanitarian supplies to remote locations, including Bentiu and Unity’s Koch and Leer counties, the U.N. reports. Due to increased humanitarian needs in Bentiu, the Cluster also continues to airlift humanitarian cargo to Rumbek town, Lakes, and then transport the cargo to Bentiu via helicopter.

OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

To date, international donors have provided nearly $808 million—approximately 45 percent of the $1.8 billion total requested funding—to support humanitarian activities through the revised South Sudan Crisis Response Plan.

In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, the Government of Finland (GoF) is providing an additional $5.4 million to various relief organizations working to mitigate the impact of the crisis on vulnerable populations. Approximately $2.7 million of the new funding will support the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies via the Finnish Red Cross, while approximately $1.6 million will facilitate WFP response efforts, according to GoF. The new support brings the total GoF humanitarian assistance to South Sudan in 2014 to approximately $12 million.