OCHA Situation Report
Southern Sudan
4 - 10 December 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Summary

The humanitarian response after the fighting in Malakal is progressing. 
Staff from a number of NGOs are now in Malakal to conduct security and 
programme assessments.

Cholera Treatment Centre tents have been erected. GOAL will support the 
cholera response in town. Bucket chlorination is continuing at the 
river. UNICEF watsan team with SRC have been meeting with community 
leaders to confirm the use of land in identified sites near the river.

WFP, UNICEF, WVI and RCO met with SSRRC to finalise the lists for NFI 
and additional food distribution.  SSRRC has agreed to discuss with the 
local police regarding providing additional security to the regular food 
distribution, which is set to begin on Tuesday 12 December.  WFP will 
cross check the verified lists of conflict affected families to 
determine additional food requirements.

Highlights

Security

In Upper Nile, 55 of the 60 cattle that were looted by Gabriel Tanginya 
forces in Phom El Zeraf have been returned.  Other 5 are expected to be 
returned in coming 2 days. Meanwhile the return to pre-clash positions 
is being verified by the UNMOs, and is for the most part completed. 
Under the provisions of the Malakal ceasefire agreement all troops must 
reconcile with their pre-clash positions, which will mean the SPLA 
vacating Al Ganal and ceding it again to the SAF. Al Ganal was formerly 
under the control of the Atar group with SAF presence. The SAF were 
expelled and taken to Malakal and handed over to UNMIS during the 
Malakal conflict. The return of 117 SAF to Al Ganal has yet to take 
place.

The security situation in Unity state remains calm but both SAF and SPLA 
are on high alert as a result of the fighting in Malakal which took 
place in late November. It is considered unlikely that the Malakal 
incident will spill over to Unity as the situation in Malakal now has 
normalized.

Food security

In Jonglei State, WFP plans to focus next year on community projects 
like food-for-work and school feeding programmes; however WFP will 
continue to provide food in case of emergency.

During the reporting period, WFP Rumbek delivered 512.27 MT of assorted 
food commodities to 62,152 beneficiaries in Lakes State through DFD, 
FFE, FFW and IFP. Due to insecurity in greater Yirol and other parts of 
Lakes State, the delivery reached only 45% of the intended recipients. 
In November, most of the food was delivered by road except to Maper, 
where 119, 63 MT were delivered to 13,750 vulnerable residents by air.

In Leer, Unity State, 290 MT of assorted food commodities was 
distributed to 32,860 beneficiaries. Meanwhile ACF built 23 cooking 
stoves in an ongoing project to provide a healthy environment and reduce 
cooking time and subsequently the work load on women.

Population movements & returns

During the reporting period, a barge with 142 returnees arrived to Bor 
from Kosti. Upon arrival, the returnees were taken to MSF-Belgium's 
cholera treatment centre for screening.

The SSRRC Deputy Director reported that about 725 IDPs currently in 
Pochalla County have expressed wish to return to their homes in Akobo, 
Duk, Ayod, Twic East, Bor Counties and Rumbek in Lakes State.

In Lakes State, the state government has agreed to support an 
interagency training for reception committees for returnees with 1 
million Sudanese Dinars. The training for the 31 reception committees in 
the state will take place in January and cover child protection, 
protection and the guiding principles on internal displacement.

The repatriation of Sudanese refugees from Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya 
to Lakes has been postponed until January 2007 due to the concerns 
raised by the refugees over the security situation in the state.

Many of the people who were displaced from Malakal and Doleib Hill into 
Khorfulus, Nyinthok Malual during the clashes, have now returned to 
Malakal. The government is daily encouraging people to return through 
the radio.

Humanitarian activities

Access to many communities in Jonglei State remains a difficulty. 
Despite the onset of the dry season, road conditions remain poor and 
many counties are thus still isolated. As NGOs to a large degree are 
unable to reach beneficiaries, their activities are limited to Bor town 
and the nearby payams.

UNICEF Lakes sent 2 emergency health supplies consisting of ringer 
lactate, two PHCU kits, one sterilization kit, antibiotics and pain 
killers, responding to an urgent request from Malakal.

On 4-10 December, WFP, UNICEF, Oxfam and OCHA organized emergency 
response training in Rumbek for 24 participants from NGOs, UN agencies 
and line ministries working in Northern Bahr El Ghazal an Upper Nile. 
The objective of the workshop is to establish state assessment teams 
trained in methodology and tools, planning, conducting, and evaluation 
of assessments. The training covered the sectors of WASH, education, 
nutrition/food security, NFIs and integrating cross cutting issues like 
HIV/AIDS, gender and protection. The EP&R team in Juba will continue to 
work closely with the state teams on assessments and monitor their 
activities.

SSRRC in Malakal has agreed to discuss with the local police regarding 
providing additional security to the regular food distribution, which is 
set to begin tomorrow, Tuesday 12 December.  WFP will cross check the 
verified lists of conflict affected families to determine additional 
food requirements.

Epidemics

The number of suspected Cholera cases in Jonglei State has risen from 17 
to 62 cases since last week. Response is being organised with the UN and 
NGOs partners in support to the State.

In Unity State, the mass measles campaign organised by the ministry of 
health in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO is in its second week, and 
is expected to end next week. The program will cover 40,000 children, 
aged 6-15 years. Meanwhile, the polio campaign is expected to start 
today, Monday 11 December, and last four days.

In Jonglei, the mass measles campaign is scheduled for the third week of 
December.

ACF conducted a two-days training in Unity for their staff on Malaria 
prevention and treatment.

In Lakes, the second round of the polio vaccination campaign will take 
place from 10-13 December. WFP will fly the vaccination team to 
otherwise inaccessible locations. Meanwhile UNMIS will include drugs to 
four PHCUs in a Special Flight with the Governor and his team to Maper. 
The PHCUs in Maper have not received drugs for more than one year.

A cholera outbreak in Kaldak which began in the military camp remains of 
concern with the almost daily troop movements between Al Ganal, 
Khorfulus and Malakal. The authorities in Khorfulus have agreed to 
disseminate health and hygiene messages in consultation with Merlin 
health workers via megaphone and the MoH in Malakal has agreed to 
disseminate health education messages via Radio Malakal. The MoH in 
Malakal will lead a four day health education campaign in schools and 
community.

A vaccination campaign and inter-agency assessment from OCHA Bor to 
Khofulus County were cancelled owing to insecurity. Due to insecurity, 
agencies have for the most part, closed down and stayed away from the 
area with the exception of Merlin.

UNMIS have erected MoH tents at the Global Health Foundation clinic site 
and are working on installing the water bladder with UNICEF. When the 
water supply is established, any inpatients will be transferred to the 
site.

Water & Sanitation

ADRA is currently completing 7 public pit latrines in Bor town, Jonglei 
State. ADRA will also support households who have dug their pit 
latrines. Meanwhile CRS have received funding from CHF for sanitation 
projects in Jonglei like digging of latrines and fencing.

UNICEF is planning to drill 44 bore holes in schools at different 
counties in Unity State.

The security evaluation team that travelled to Bunagok, the capital of 
Awerial County, Lakes State, on 7 December reported that four of the six 
hand pumps in the town need repair.

UNICEF completed 2 new boreholes located in Tilkuc village in Atiaba 
Payam, Rumbek East County and in Jier village in Rumbek Center. The 
boreholes are equipped with hand pumps and will supply approximately 
1,000 people with safe drinking water in Lakes State.

Assessments/Trainings

OCHA and UNMIS RRR conducted an assessment mission to Khorfulus County 
on 7 December. There is a significant recently displaced population in 
Khorfulus (Nyinthok Malual) who have moved from other payams in the 
county as a result of insecurity between the two communities of Atar and 
Khorfulus. They have moved principally from Korwayi, Alam and Belawich 
payams and also from Al Ganal. The SSRRC registered 19,000 displaced 
between the beginning of November, which marked the resurgence in 
hostilities between Atar and Khorfulus, and the beginning of December, 
which marked the end of the Malakal crisis. They conceded however that 
many of the Malakal and Doleib displaced had since gone back.

The recommendations from the assessment include re-scheduling of OCHA 
Bor inter-agency assessment to comprehensively consider gaps in basic 
service delivery, livelihood security and protection. Contingent on 
improved security and assurances of a safe operating space for agencies, 
advocate for funding and programming to address basic service delivery 
and recovery needs in Khorfulus County. Determine numbers and intentions 
of displaced populations to return or settle in Khorfulus (Nyinthok 
Malual). Engage County Authorities with recommendations of State 
Planning process and encourage them to identify activities they can 
reasonably undertake towards achievement of these aims. Provide 
immediate support to Merlin drug supply if requested by the agency.

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