A. Sommaire exécutif

Points saillants

L’évaluation menée dans le Logone et Chari a retenu comme principales conclusions les éléments suivants :

• 58% du total de la population du Logone et Chari est affectée par la crise

• L’assistance humanitaire apportée est insuffisante et ne couvre pas toutes les zones affectées

• La santé est citée comme priorité principale dans les 10 arrondissements du département

• Le Logone et Chari enregistre le déficit vivrier le plus important du pays, soit près de 76.000 tonnes

• 40% des ménages déplacés sont en insécurité alimentaire comparé à 17% des ménages hôtes

• 60% des personnes déplacées vivent en famille d’accueil

• Les groupes les plus vulnérables sont les personnes âgées et les enfants de moins de 5 ans dont 13.000 sont à risque sur le plan nutritionnel

• 1 personne sur 3 s’approvisionne auprès d’une source d’eau impropre à la consommation

• 80% de la population déplacée et 20% des familles hôtes nécessitent une assistance en kits standard NFI

• 63 écoles ont été fermées, dont 49 suite à des destructions

Priorisation Des Besoins

Le Logone et Chari est un des départements de l’Extrême Nord les plus touchés par la crise Boko Haram et a un des niveaux les plus faibles d’accès à des services sociaux de base de qualité. Cette situation impacte des populations déjà vulnérables et obligées de se déplacer avec pour conséquence la perte de leurs moyens de subsistance (non accès aux champs, manque de revenus pour accéder aux soins, etc.) et se traduit en besoins importants dans différents secteurs.

Pour les hommes et les femmes les trois grandes priorités, dans l’ordre, sont la Santé, l’Alimentation et enfin l’Eau. Pour les enfants les résultats diffèrent légèrement avec l’Education comme première priorité, viennent ensuite la Santé et L’Alimentation

Highlights

• 2 million people are being reached daily with messages on cholera prevention through radio broadcasts since 15 July.

• Relocation of internally displaced people (IDPs) to UN House is underway, but risks further delaying the provision of education activities due to lack of space.

• UNICEF continues to work with partners on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response.

Humanitarian Overview

The cumulative number of cases of cholera has now reached 666, with 21 deaths. The majority of cases have been reported in Juba.

Fighting has reportedly been taking place surrounding the capital of Juba. Tension in Juba is high, with the resignation of key opposition officials leading to fears of potential resumption of hostilities; the whereabouts of former Vice President Riek Machar remains unknown.

Humanitarian Response

The cholera response continues, with a particular focus on mass awareness raising in addition to WASH and Health activities. As of 30 July, agencies operating in Juba have reached 114,360 people with Cholera Response activities. Geographic coverage is increasing as more areas are being affected.

Relocation of IDPs from Tomping to UN House has commenced in order to facilitate protection and the provision of services. As of 2 August a total of 171 people have been relocated. Due to lack of space, the relocation of IDPs to UN House risks further delaying education activities.

Last week, UNICEF’s Child Protection team with partners facilitated a meeting of GBV service providers to map ongoing activities and identify gaps in services. Currently, the team is mobilising health service providers to take part in a clinical management of rape (CMR) training, scheduled to take place in the coming days. A meeting was held on 29 July at the National Mine Action Authority with partners to review the mine risk education response and activities.

Highlights

• 2 million people are being reached daily with messages on cholera prevention through radio broadcasts since 15 July.

• Relocation of internally displaced people (IDPs) to UN House is underway, but risks further delaying the provision of education activities due to lack of space.

• UNICEF continues to work with partners on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response.

Humanitarian Overview

The cumulative number of cases of cholera has now reached 666, with 21 deaths. The majority of cases have been reported in Juba.

Fighting has reportedly been taking place surrounding the capital of Juba. Tension in Juba is high, with the resignation of key opposition officials leading to fears of potential resumption of hostilities; the whereabouts of former Vice President Riek Machar remains unknown.

Humanitarian Response

The cholera response continues, with a particular focus on mass awareness raising in addition to WASH and Health activities. As of 30 July, agencies operating in Juba have reached 114,360 people with Cholera Response activities. Geographic coverage is increasing as more areas are being affected.

Relocation of IDPs from Tomping to UN House has commenced in order to facilitate protection and the provision of services. As of 2 August a total of 171 people have been relocated. Due to lack of space, the relocation of IDPs to UN House risks further delaying education activities.

Last week, UNICEF’s Child Protection team with partners facilitated a meeting of GBV service providers to map ongoing activities and identify gaps in services. Currently, the team is mobilising health service providers to take part in a clinical management of rape (CMR) training, scheduled to take place in the coming days. A meeting was held on 29 July at the National Mine Action Authority with partners to review the mine risk education response and activities.

By Mbom Sixtus
FAR NORTH/CAMEROON, 3 August 2016

A deepening but often overlooked humanitarian crisis in West Africa’s Lake Chad region has been described “as the new terrible” by the UN’s top relief official, Stephen O’Brien.

Of the region’s 20 million people, 9.2 million are now in need of life-saving assistance, while severe acute malnutrition rates for children under five have surpassed the emergency threshold in the affected areas of four separate countries: Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.

Read the full article on IRIN

In the Mopti region, 10% of children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition. Malnutrition in Mali is partly caused by the lack of preventive care, but also attributable to diseases related to the poor quality of water, inadequate sanitation, and hygiene conditions.

ACTED, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has been implementing an integrated project in response to this issue since May 2016. The project aims to increase awareness, but also improve practices related to water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) in health centers and households. ACTED also plans on improving the quality of water by constructing and rehabilitating water points in health centers in order for children and their companions to live in better conditions when they take charge of their own care. In addition, those measures will be coupled with the installation of a proper sanitation system (showers, latrines, waste treatment system) in health centers. ACTED is also seeking to contribute to the reduction of child malnutrition in the region of Mopti through supporting 50 health centers. ACTED will also lead community awareness sessions on the best WASH practices, especially for pregnant and nursing women, and will distribute hygiene kits in health centers. Local communities received the project with enthusiasm. They saw in this initiative a step forward toward reinforcing the fight against malnutrition which has affected a large number of their children.

Posted by Anne C. Richard

On July 11, I traveled to Cameroon and Chad. I wanted to call attention to those affected by Boko Haram violence and to do so alongside two strong allies: the European Union and the humanitarian agencies of the United Nations. When tackling the stark challenges faced by displaced people in the Sahel and other crisis zones, working together, pooling our resources and sharing expertise can have a much bigger impact.

The Chad Basin is a swath of land centered on Lake Chad in Northern Central Africa that includes parts of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. In this region, Boko Haram’s malicious attacks have destroyed communities, disrupted farming and fishing, terrorized civilians and forced millions to flee. 

On my recent trip, I met with humanitarian leaders, traveled to refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and heard directly from people whose villages had been attacked by Boko Haram. In Cameroon, I traveled with Toby Lanzer, the United Nations' (UN) Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel. We flew to the far north of the country, to speak to Nigerian refugees in the Minawao camp. The camp had opened only three years earlier, but now was a sprawling settlement of nearly 57,000 people, all helped by aid workers from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Program (WFP), and other top aid agencies. In Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, I announced on behalf of the United States an additional $27 million dollars in funding to assist the region, bringing total U.S. government humanitarian support to the Lake Chad Basin for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 to $281 million. This new funding will help reduce the suffering of 2.7 million displaced people by providing them with basics like clean water, shelter, and health care.

In Chad we met up with Christos Stylianides, European Union (EU) Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management. Together we visited people affected by the crisis and spoke with local, national and international officials.

Traveling together to the Bol area of Chad, we met people who mourned the deaths of friends and loved ones to Boko Haram. They also missed their homes and the life they had led. At home, they were able to fish and farm so that they had plenty to eat and enough left over to take across nearby borders to sell in Northeast Nigeria. Now, trade routes had been cut and they crowded together on a small plot of land. They farmed in whatever small areas went unused by the community that had taken them in. The only compensation for the death, displacement and loss was that their children now, at least, were going to school.

We cannot undo the damage and cruelty unleashed by Boko Haram. We cannot erase the nightmares that torment its victims. But those who struggle should know that they are not alone. Until peace is restored, governments and international organizations will work together to provide life-saving aid. And as we look ahead to the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees that President Obama will host at the United Nations in September, government officials, aid agencies, businesses, the media, the public -- all of us--must ask: can we do more? In the face of a brutal insurgency and daunting logistical hurdles, greater cooperation among the United States, United Nations, European Union, and many dedicated humanitarians can make a difference and save many lives. 

About the Author: Anne C. Richard serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration at the U.S. Department of State.

This revised Emergency Appeal seeks 1,434,323 Swiss francs (increased from 851,786 Swiss francs) to enable the IFRC support the Red Cross Society of Niger to assist 58,000 people for 6 months, with focus on health, water, sanitation, hygiene promotion, nutrition, livelihoods, shelter, non-food items, and capacity building. This revised Appeal increases the number of beneficiaries, extends the timeframe, increases activities and the number of volunteers, and encompasses an enlarged geographic scope. With available resources of 674,992 Swiss francs, there is a funding gap of 759,331 Swiss francs. The planned response reflects the current situation and information available at this time of the evolving operation, and will be adjusted based on further developments and more detailed assessments. Details are available in the Emergency Plan of Action <EPoA>

The disaster and the Red Cross Red Crescent response to date

July 2014: Large numbers of displaced from Southern Nigeria begin arriving in Niger’s Diffa region from Northern Nigeria. With local resources exhausted, host communities are unable to cope with the situation.
Access to water, sanitation and primary health care is critically low, and immediate humanitarian assistance is required.

September 2014: 170,000 Swiss francs allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF). Emergency Appeal launched for 1,062,406 Swiss francs to assist 80,000 persons in health and care, water, hygiene and sanitation, food security and livelihoods, and promote peace and social cohesion.

2015 - 2016: more than 115 serious security incidents recorded, leading to more than 240,000 displaced in Diffa. The Government’s State of Emergency extended for Diffa.

July 2015: Revised Emergency Appeal issued for a total of 851,786 Swiss francs for a reduced caseload of 50,000 people, and Appeal extended to December 2015.

December 2016: 12 month Update issued, extending the Emergency Appeal to June 2016 while discussions are carried out on the direction of the operation.

August 2016: Revised Emergency Appeal launched for 1,429,530 Swiss francs support the Niger National Red Cross Society to deliver assistance and support to 58,000 people for an additional 6 months.

Global Highlights

• During Q2-2016, FAO’s global cereal price index fell by 6 percent year-on-year but it is 3 percent up compared to Q1-2016. The increase is because of rising maize and rice prices. The FAO global food price index has increased and almost returned to the levels of June 2015 (-1%), because prices particularly for sugar and oil increased significantly.

• The real price2 of wheat is 20 percent below Q2-2015.
  This is because world supplies are at record levels thanks to increased production as well as beginning stocks.

• The real price of maize came under pressure in Q2-2016 and rose 7 percent from Q1, although it remained stable compared to 2015. Globally, supplies are abundant but consumption is expected to increase and stocks are estimated to reduce in 2016/17.

• During Q2-2016, the real price of rice increased by 9 percent compared to the first quarter because of declining stocks and concerns about production, particularly in Thailand.

• The real price of crude oil has increased since February 2016 and is up 34 percent compared to the previous quarter because of decreases in non-OPEC production and various supply outages.

• The cost of the basic food basket increased severely (>10%) in Q2-2016 in nine countries:
  Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, north Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Togo and Zimbabwe. High increases (5–10%) were seen in Benin, Cameroon,
  Costa Rica, Egypt, Iran, and Mozambique. In the other monitored countries, the change was moderate or low (<5%).

• Price spikes, as monitored by ALPS, were detected in 20 countries, particularly in Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Zambia (see the map below).3 These spikes indicate crisis levels for the two most important staples in each country, which could be beans, cassava, maize, millet, oil, plantains, rice, sorghum, sweet potatoes, sugar or wheat flour.

Looking back at an eventful year, our Annual Report for 2015 covers areas such as: the results and lessons learned from the response to the Nepal earthquake; the launch of the French and Spanish versions of the CHS; the end of the different NGO support projects by the Haiti Observatory, which closed in 2015; the preparations for the World Humanitarian Summit; and work carried out with French and European institutions on topics such as the environment, risk and disaster management and LRRD.

2015 was marked by a number of major international events: the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, COP21 in Paris, and the Third Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa. Groupe URD was involved in all of these dossiers, working, at the national level, with the French Development Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment, at the European level, with DG ECHO and DEVCO, and at the UN level, with OCHA and UNDP, and in preparation for the World Humanitarian Summit.

We also continued to work alongside practitioners via training courses, evaluations and the production of tools and methods. Of particular note was our active participation in the development of the CHS and its tools, based on key aspects of the Quality COMPAS. We are pleased that the CHS has been very favourably received and we will continue to work with our partners to help aid organisations to put it into practice.

In the field, we ended the majority of our activities in Haiti, closing our Observatory after five years of in-depth analysis of a crisis that has provided many lessons for the sector. We have a great deal of affection for this country, and we continued to monitor the situation there, and were present intermittently for a number of short projects. We were able to transfer many of the lessons from the response to the 2010 earthquake to the response to the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. We continued to work in the Sahel, though less than in 2014. Certain projects, such as the evaluations for the WFP, and our studies on the Ebola crisis, nevertheless allowed us to maintain ties with a certain number of countries in the sub-region, and we continued to keep a close watch on this particularly fragile area.

We also began several projects related to the Syrian crisis and monitored the refugee crisis in Europe which has raised questions about the capacity and methods of humanitarian organisations and donors…

Our goal is to continue to learn, innovate and improve… With this in mind, we finalized a new five-year strategy in 2015. Designed so that there is continuity with the past, it aims to allow more in-depth analysis and closer ties with the field, and to make the results of our work as practical and useful as possible.

Sécurité

La situation sécuritaire dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord reste imprévisible. Malgré les opérations de ratissage entreprises par les forces de défense, une attaque attribuée à Boko Haram a été enregistré dans le village Tchebe- Tchebe, département du Mayo-Sava. Cette attaque s’est soldée par la mort d’un sexagénaire.

Faits saillants

Le Représentant du HCR en RCA, M. Etien Kouassi Lazare, a effectué une mission dans la region de l’Est pour s’enquérir de la situation des réfugiés centrafricains. Dans cette optique, il a visité le site de réfugiés de Timangolo où il a eu des échanges avec les réfugiés ; échanges pendant lesquels il leur a présenté le contexte actuel de la RCA marqué par la reconstruction et la cohésion sociale à l’issue des élections présidentielles et a évoqué avec eux la question du rapatriement volontaire dans leur pays d’origine. En retour, les réfugiés ont salué sa visite avant d’exprimer leurs inquiétudes et réserves pour le rapatriement en ce moment pour des raisons suivantes: l’insécurité pendante en RCA, le non désarmement des groupes armés, la quasi partition du pays en trois grandes zones d'influence entre le gouvernement, les antibalaka et les ex-Seleka, les risques de discrimination religieuse et ethnique et l'absence de garanties de dédommagement ou de restitution de leurs biens pillés ou détruits.

Dans le cadre des stratégies de renforcement de la résilience et de l’autonomisation des réfugiés et populations hôtes, il s’est tenu à Goz-Beida un atelier ayant comme thème « Atelier sur le Développement de l’entreprenariat pour l’intégration socio-économique des réfugiés et populations hôtes ». Ceci étant une des stratégies de sortie des réfugiés de l’assistance humanitaire.

Inscrit dans le cadre de la capitalisation des acquis de l’initiative « Seeds for solution » dont l’objectif est de mettre en œuvre un accompagnement plus approprié et durable des réfugiés et populations hôtes dans l’insertion économique et sociale, cet atelier cherchait à répondre aux éléments suivants :

• L’identification des principaux dysfonctionnements et barrières pour le développement des petites et moyennes entreprises dans la région de Sila (production, commercialisation, transformation et transport) en se basant sur l’importance de promouvoir le développement des chaines de valeurs ;

• La problématique d’accès aux produits et services financiers dans la région de Sila ;

• Le rôle de la chambre de commerce pour la promotion du développement des PMEs dans la région de Sila;

• Le renforcement des capacités;

• La structuration et la capacité organisationnelle des coopératives;

• Les mécanismes d’accompagnement des micro-entreprises;

• Le développement de l’approche Partenariat Public-Privé.

The European Commission is providing an additional €12.5 million in humanitarian aid to support people in Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon as they face a deteriorating humanitarian crisis. The new funding comes as violence by the terrorist group Boko Haram from northern Nigeria has severely destabilised the Lake Chad region, causing the displacement of millions of people.

"When travelling to the region last month, I witnessed the plight of people in the Lake Chad Basin. Millions have been displaced and the number of those struggling to find food is increasingly alarming. The situation in Nigeria is especially dramatic. As always, children are hit the hardest and we must urgently intervene to stop their suffering. This additional EU funding will focus on emergency assistance, primarily in the areas of food and nutrition, water and sanitation, and health. All efforts should be made to ensure that humanitarian organisations can safely reach those who need urgent help." said EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.

The amount of €9 million will be provided to support people in Nigeria, €2 million in Cameroon and €1.5 million in Niger. The aid comes on top of the €58 million previously allocated to the Lake Chad Basin crisis, bringing overall EU humanitarian aid to over €70 million for the region in 2016.

Background

Nigeria is the worst hit country by the regional humanitarian crisis. The United Nations estimates over 7 million Nigerians have been affected by the conflict in the north-east of the country alone – including over 2 million displaced who rely on humanitarian assistance to survive. Already vulnerable host communities are also deeply affected, as is the local population in Nigeria, and increasingly so.

The Far North Region of Cameroon currently hosts over 65 000 Nigerian refugees and more than 191 000 internally displaced persons, 158 500 of whom have fled attacks by Boko Haram.

Meanwhile, the violence has forced some 167 000 people from their homes in Niger, which also hosts over 82 000 Nigerian refugees.

At the same time, some 4.4 million Nigerians are estimated to be severely food insecure in the north-east of the country. The number of children suffering from 'severe acute malnutrition' is reported to be particularly alarming – at least 244 000 are estimated to be affected in the state of Borno alone. Aid agencies are reporting that one in five children may die if not provided with urgent life-saving treatment.

While the needs are immense, providing humanitarian assistance in Nigeria and the region as a whole remains challenging as demonstrated by the attack against humanitarian responders in north-east Nigeria only last week.

Publication date 04/08/2016

HIGHLIGHTS

• An outbreak of Hepatitis E virus has been declared in Sortony, North Darfur, with 134 suspected cases of Acute Jaundice Syndrome reported.

• Since early June, 74 cases of suspected measles have been reported among refugees and the host community in Al Lait, North Darfur.

• About 80,000 people have been affected by heavy rains and flooding across Sudan in 2016.

• An estimated 115 families remain displaced following unrest earlier this year in Um Tajok, West Darfur.

Hepatitis E outbreak in Sortony, North Darfur

Some 134 cases of suspected Acute Jaundice Syndrome (AJS) have been reported since May 2016 in Sortony, North Darfur, according to the State Ministry of Health (SMoH), the international NGO (INGO) Médecins Sans Frontières-España (MSF-E), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the national NGO (NNGO) Anhar for Peace Development Organisation (ANHAR). Sortony hosts over 21,000 people who were displaced from Jebel Marra following hostilities earlier this year. Seven samples sent for analysis tested positive for Hepatitis E virus, and an outbreak of Hepatitis E has been declared in Sortony internally displaced persons (IDPs) site, North Darfur State by the SMoH.

AJS is an epidemic-prone, water borne disease with a faecal-oral route of transmission through contaminated water and can be a symptom of different epidemic-prone diseases including dengue, hepatitis A or E and yellow fever. AJS outbreaks mostly occur in areas where people live in cramped conditions, with poor water supply and insufficient sanitation and hygiene facilities, such as Sortony. The current rainy season is likely to contribute to unsanitary conditions due to overflowing latrines and related contamination in living areas, and the outbreak may continue if the issue of overcrowding is not addressed.

Humanitarian health, water and sanitation partners are working with the SMoH to address the causes of AJS and diarrhoea cases in Sortony. Efforts aimed at containing the outbreak include strengthening health promotion-related activities and improving water quality through chlorination. In addition, water quality surveillance and vector control activities have been strengthened, and active case finding is ongoing. Drugs and medical supplies to cover two months were provided to health clinics run by MSF-E and ANHAR with support from WHO, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and SMoH.

Interview with Côme Niyomgabo, MSF head of mission in Mali, about the humanitarian situation in the north of the country following a fresh outbreak of violence

What is the current situation in northern Mali?

Northern Mali has been going through a serious crisis since 2012. Although the crisis initially began with demands for independence, it has in time evolved to take on different forms: a pro-independence but also religious movement, a battle for control of trafficking routes, and [a vehicle for] community exploitation against a backdrop of limited resources and crime.

While no significant progress has been made a year on from the signing of the Algiers peace agreement, what results have been achieved may be undermined by renewed fighting between different groups. Since 21 July 2016, violent clashes have broken out in the Kidal region in the far north of the country, leaving more than 50 people dead and 82 injured. A week before the hostilities, demonstrations escalated into riots in Gao, which resulted in several deaths and approximately 30 wounded. These developments partly reflect the exasperation of the population who, in spite of the peace agreements, have not seen any real improvement in their everyday situation.

Meanwhile, acts of criminality against humanitarian organisations continue.

This situation seriously affects the deployment of humanitarian assistance, as clashes between armed groups and an increase in criminality hamper and limit humanitarian workers’ access to the population.

What are the main needs of the population?

Access to healthcare, problems linked to food insecurity including malnutrition, and access to water and shelter; these are the main humanitarian needs in these regions.

The regions in the north of the country have to some extent fallen out of state control, and the healthcare system has collapsed following the conflict.

There are also particularly vulnerable populations for whom access to healthcare services is very difficult. In Kidal, for example, and also in northern Ansongo, in Gao, the population is nomadic and settles for several months of the year in pastoral lands where access to healthcare is non-existent.

What is MSF doing in northern Mali?

MSF has been working in the Ansongo district in the Gao region since the start of the crisis in 2012, and in Kidal since 2015. These areas are among the worst affected by the conflict in Mali. MSF continues to provide quality healthcare free of charge to the populations affected by armed conflict, and focuses its efforts on providing medical care to victims of conflict – injured and displaced people – treating diseases commonly encountered in the primary and secondary healthcare services, preventing deadly childhood diseases through vaccination campaigns and seasonal malaria chemoprevention, as well as responding to emergencies.

In Ansongo, we are supporting the referral hospital, including consultations, child and adult admissions, maternal health, nutrition and surgery, and we also ensure referrals between the hospital and numerous health centres located in the surrounding rural areas. We have also launched a programme for the period between September and December that is specifically aimed at helping children under five years of age and pregnant nomadic women who move around the region during that time of the year.

People in these regions frequently have to travel very long distances (often more than 50 kilometres) before their first contact with a healthcare professional, and people’s usual coping mechanisms have been weakened by more than five years of armed conflict.

In addition, we have begun to carry out seasonal malaria chemoprevention in Ansongo Cercle, with the aim of protecting children during the peak malaria months. We are also planning to implement the same strategy in Kidal, although this is currently on hold for security reasons.

What are MSF’s activities in Kidal?

The Bamako government does not have a presence in the Kidal region. Very few humanitarian organisations are working in the area, owing to the instability. The renewed fighting further complicates the current situation. But since last year, we have continued to work in Kidal to support two health centres in the town of Kidal and numerous others in rural areas, in cooperation with a local organisation, SOLISA (Solidarité pour le Sahel).

In addition to Gao and Kidal, MSF is also working in the regions of Timbuktu, in the north of the country, and Sikasso, in the south.

KEY FIGURES

A total of 244,779 *
South Sudanese arrivals in Sudan since 15 December 2013.
* This figure does not include a number of South Sudanese living with host communities.
80,974
Number of South Sudanese arrivals residing in the eight sites of White Nile State, based on UNHCR individual registration.
54,427
Number of South Sudanese arrivals to East Darfur since January 2016.
145,200
Number of South Sudanese residing in Khartoum open areas as per IPP and Civil Registry (as of 11 May 2016

HIGHLIGHTS

• Reports of arrivals from South Sudan have continued throughout July, though accurate figures have been hard to verify. In total, based on both verified and unverified figures, some 90,000 refugees had arrived in Sudan in 2016 by end July.
  
• In East Darfur, development of the new Kariu site is underway with 900 household plots demarcated by 31 July. The site will host the 30,000 refugees registered in Ed Daien locality’s Khor Omer IDP camp.
  
• In East Darfur’s El Ferdous locality, the approximately 5,300 refugees previously residing in Abu Sinaidira have since moved on from the area, mainly going to El Ferdous town or the old Raja camp in Ed Daein. El Ferdous town is now hosting a large population of the refugee arrivals from Raja, only some of whom have been provided with initial food and NFI assistance. An IOM team is currently conducting verification activities throughout El Ferdous and Abu Jabra localities, including in El Ferdous town.
  
• Reports of arrivals into West Kordofan have continued. A WFP verification mission to El Meriam verified a total population of 4,538 on 24 July, of which 883 were recent arrivals in June and July. The 5,745 new arrivals to Kharasana reported by the Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) have not yet been verified.
  
• Over the reporting period, 742 arrivals were registered in White Nile state border reception centres. Relocation to Al Waral site has continued, with an additional 762 moved during the last two weeks of July.
  
• In Khartoum, 203 South Sudanese arrivals to the state were recorded in the month of July by the National IDP centre.
   HAC has reported 300 newly arrived South Sudanese in North Kordofan state. An interagency verification and assessment mission is set to begin on 8 August.

PRIORITIES

• Ongoing response to South Sudanese arrivals in West and South Kordofan, White Nile State, and Darfur.
  
• Contingency planning for a potential influx of refugees into Sudan should the conflict in South Sudan escalate.
  
• Relocations to the new Al Waral site, White Nile State, to address congestion in existing sites.
  
• Establishment of new sites in East Darfur to decongest Khor Omer camp and to relocate recent South Sudanese arrivals from Raja to a more suitable area.
  

UPDATE ON ACHIEVEMENTS

Operational Context

Reports of arrivals from South Sudan have continued throughout July, though accurate figures have been hard to verify. In total, based on both verified and unverified figures, some 90,000 refugees had arrived in Sudan in 2016 by end July. 

In West Kordofan, a verification exercise conducted by WFP in El Meriam on 24 July identified 4,538 South Sudanese individuals, of which 3,655 were an existing caseload that had arrived earlier in 2016 and 883 were newly arrived in June and July coming from the Greater Bahr al Ghazal area and Upper Nile state. The Government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) reported in the end of July that the South Sudanese population in El Meriam had reached 12,519 individuals, representing an increase of 6,449 from the population figure reported by HAC in mid-May 2016 and including 1,550 new arrivals said to have come from Northern Bahr al Ghazal in the last week of July. This larger figure from HAC may include some South Sudanese who did not return to South Sudan following the secession in 2011—and as such were not included in the recent WFP verification. In Kharasana, HAC reported the arrival of 5,745 individuals from South Sudan’s Unity state in July. These reported arrivals were covered by the WFP verification that took place in Kharasana in early July, which verified 9,343 South Sudanese, as the reported population may similarly include some of the South Sudanese population residing in the area before the conflict erupted in 2013. 

In North Kordofan the government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) has reported some 300 recent arrivals to the state; a joint interagency is scheduled to begin on 8 August for assessment, verification and registration. 

In East Darfur, the refugee population has reached nearly 55,000. However there has been a large extent of reported internal movement of refugees within Sudan, particularly within and out of East Darfur, as many refugees seek out seasonal labor during the farming season or move in search of better access to services. As a result population figures for the different areas of arrival have fluctuated considerably in the past weeks. As of 26 July, refugees are no longer present in Abu Sinaidira in El Ferdous locality. On 17 July 5,305 refugees were registered there by the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS); however all have since moved on mainly to El Ferdous town and the old Raja camp in Ed Daein due to the limited access to services in Abu Sinaidira. 

On 26 July, IOM began a verification exercise in El Ferdous and Abu Jabra localities, the first of such to be permitted in East Darfur outside of Khor Omer camp. According to preliminary reports from the mission in El Ferdous town, refugees are residing in two areas—a local school and a gathering point—and represent a mix of those coming from Abu Sinaidira who have received initial food and NFI assistance, as well as those coming directly from other transit areas in East Darfur (i.e. Shakabat and Al Sharji) who have not yet received assistance. With the rainy season in effect, there is an urgent need to distribute emergency shelters and additional NFI items. There are serious concerns regarding the health and hygiene situation with a critical lack of latrines and several cases of malaria reported. A water source is being shared with the host community, located some 2 km from the gathering area. UNICEF has provided a water bladder; however installation of the bladder and water trucking are still needed. 

Construction of a reception centre and six communal shelters in El Ferdous town is underway to cater to the immediate needs of the new arrivals; the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) initiated transport of the materials to El Ferdous on 28 July. Development of the new Kariu site, which will host the 30,000 refugees who have arrived to Khor Omer camp, began on 20 July. By 31 July 900 household plots had been demarcated; however heavy rainfall has slowed progress. No date has yet been set for when relocation can commence. 

On 27 and 28 July, a high level delegation from Khartoum (COR, NISS, HAC, military intelligence) visited East and South Darfur to assess the humanitarian situation and coordinate with local authorities on the response. 

In North Darfur, though humanitarian partners have not yet been permitted to visit the reported arrivals in Al Lait and El Taweisha localities aside from a rapid needs assessment conducted to Al Lait locality by WFP on 22-25 June, coordination meetings with local authorities continue. During the rapids needs assessment mission, 1,969 arrivals were registered in Al Lait. Since then, the local aid organization CDO has reported that the population in Al Lait has risen to 5,306 individuals, of whom 2,607 arrived between 20-26 July. Many of these arrivals may be coming from other areas within Sudan, namely East Darfur and West Kordofan states. Partners continue to follow up with regards to securing access to conduct a mission. 

In White Nile state, 742 new arrivals to the three border reception areas were reported in the second half of July. Relocation to Al Waral continued, with 762 individuals arriving in the new site, brining the current population to 5,909. 

In Khartoum, the national IDP centre reported 203 South Sudanese arrivals to the state throughout the month of July. 

From 31 July to 3 August UNHCR hosted a Situational Emergency Training workshop in Khartoum, with trainers from UNHCR’s Global Learning Centre. The training brought together UNHCR staff, UN and NGO partners and members of Government working on South Sudanese refugee operations in South and East Darfur, West and South Kordofan, White Nile State, and Khartoum. Participants engaged in sessions about emergency refugee coordination skills and tools; sector-specific presentations and discussions; and location-specific working groups focusing on identifying challenges and solutions, developing an action plan, and strengthening preparedness for new influx response. 

Les rélocalisations volontaires des réfugiés ont été relancées le 8 juillet 2016. Les raisons qui poussent les réfugiés à choisir de se rendre au camp de Sayam Forage sont principalement le sentiment constant d’insécurité et l’absence d’opportunité socio-économiques.

By Tim Irwin

Millions of people in South Sudan are struggling to feed themselves as a years-long conflict takes its toll on food production and the economy. Children continue to be the most seriously affected, with a sharp increase in the number being treated for malnutrition.

JUBA, South Sudan, 4 August 2016 – Before the fighting that shook South Sudan’s capital of Juba last month, staff at the Al Sabah children’s hospital were admitting about 30 children a day for the treatment of malnutrition. Today that number often surpasses 80.

Sunday Samuel arrived ten days ago with her two-year-old daughter Bismah, after the child, sick with malaria, stopped eating. She was treated for oedema, given medicines for malaria and fed with a therapeutic milk formula called F-75. Her mother said she had improved, though she was still underweight and had a persistent cough.

Like thousands of others, Sunday and her family fled their home during the four days of intense clashes, returning once a ceasefire had taken hold. But even before the latest violence, they struggled to feed themselves. Nearly three years of insecurity has fractured South Sudan’s economy. With inflation running at around 300 per cent, basic food supplies are now too expensive for many families.

“Life in Juba is so difficult. You have to be rich now to even buy a bag of flour,” said Sunday as her daughter slept against her chest.

A recent survey warned that more than one third of South Sudan’s population – 4.8 million – people are facing severe food shortages. Malnutrition rates in 7 of the country’s 10 states have reached the emergency threshold, according to UNICEF estimates, meaning that more than 15 per cent of the population is malnourished. In some areas it has reached 33 per cent.

“This latest crisis has severely affected our ability to respond,” said Joseph Senesie, UNICEF’s nutrition specialist in Juba. “Therapeutic food supplies that would normally come by road have been interrupted due to insecurity forcing us to fly in the most urgently needed formulas.”

The first air shipment brought hundreds of boxes of therapeutic food supplies used to treat severely malnourished children, and much of it was destined for Al Sabah.

Doctor Rita Charles works in the hospital’s nutrition ward. She said the recent conflict has made it more difficult for people to cope.

“Normally, [families] could rely on what they can grow on small plots of land outside of the city, but because of the insecurity they can no longer reach those areas,” she said.

As Sunday bathed her crying daughter at the hospital, she said she has lost hope for the future and she looks to humanitarian organizations and the staff at Al Sabah for help.

That night, despite the care from the doctors and nurses and comforting from her mother, Bismah passed away. The next morning Sunday returned home alone.