OCHA Situation Report
Southern Sudan
Humanitarian Action, Recovery, and Development
Weekly Bulletin of 19 - 25 March 2007
29 March 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Summary

- Spontaneous returnees from Ethiopia being airlifted to destinations,
after two-month wait in Boma.

- Donor consortium takes place, acknowledging progress made by GoSS and
calling for capacity building.

- Meningitis causes more deaths, but vaccinations well underway and
medicines ordered for treatment.

- Southern Sudan HIV/AIDS Commission visits Ghana to acquire expertise
and skills.

Focus on stability and security

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs,
John Holmes, visited Juba on 23 March.  He encouraged the humanitarian
community and donors to increase humanitarian, recovery, and development
efforts. This, he said, would enhance the visibility of the positive
impact of peace.

The President of Southern Sudan has reportedly expressed an interest in
holding Darfur peace talks in Juba, stressing that there cannot be
stability in Southern Sudan, without stability nationwide.

Population census

Following a reiteration this week by national and Southern Sudanese
authorities that the national census should take place from 15 to 30
November as envisaged in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the
training of enumerators and supervisors in all states of Southern Sudan
is ready to commence next week with the support of the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA), with a view to completing the pilot census by
the end of April.

Population movements and returns

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) (1)

Three of the four organized return operations of IDPs are ongoing, with
more movements this week.

- The return from South Darfur to Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State saw 756
individuals moved.

- A total of 350 individuals were returned from Khartoum and surrounding
areas to Southern Sudan, in two overland convoys arriving to Bahr
el-Ghazal State.

- Ninety-two individuals were returned from Wau County (Western Bahr
el-Ghazal) to Warrap State, while some 6,000 more are registered for the
operation.

No movements happened this week or are imminent, in the return operation
from the Equatoria states to Jonglei State.  However, caseloads are
currently being identified and prioritized with a view to resumption.

Refugees (2)

An organized movement operation has started, for the refugees who
spontaneously returned from Dimma Camp in Ethiopia to Boma (Jonglei
State) last January.  The group, most of them former students in the
country of asylum, had reportedly reached Boma after walking for three
days.  This week, a first group of 80 individuals were airlifted to
Bentiu, Bor, and Juba; while approximately 400 are to be moved to their
destinations over the coming weeks.

Organized voluntary repatriation is ongoing from the Central African
Republic (CAR), Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, with 212, 1,977, 159, and
569 individuals respectively, returned last week [11 to 17 March].  In
the same period, assisted self-repatriation occurred from CAR, the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Egypt, with 8, 11, and 33
individuals return respectively.

On 21 March, for the first time some refugees were repatriated directly
to Rumbek (Lakes State) by air.  This comprised 49 individuals from
Kakuma Camp in Kenya, and 30 from CAR.  The returnees received from the
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) two large tents and 100 plastic
sheets.

As returns from Ethiopia to Upper Nile State continue, the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) has provided agricultural hand tools to
the returnees, in order to help them prepare land for cultivation.
During this week, hoes, malodas and sickles were provided for 400
households.

Needs and response by sector

Common Services and Coordination

A donor consortium took place in Juba on 21 March.  Participants
acknowledged the progress made by the Government of Southern Sudan
(GoSS) with the support of the international community, and stressed
that capacity building must be a central element of all aid programmes.

Education

On 23 March, UNICEF started distribution of school supplies in Yambio
County (Western Equatoria).  Six schools received exercise books,
student kits, teacher kits, and head-teacher kits.

As part of the first-ever Southern Sudan-wide teacher development
programme, training of trainers (ToT) commenced on 20 March in Lakes
State, with four facilitators and 16 participants, who will transfer
knowledge to primary schoolteachers.

Governance and Rule of Law

>From 21 to 22 March, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
conducted a psycho-social and rule of law training for nine Juba-based
rule of law promoters from an association of paralegal volunteers.  The
training seeks to enable them to effectively address trauma and related
challenges within communities, through combined efforts for advocacy,
training, awareness-raising, and counseling.

Health and Nutrition

Meningitis

Last week [ending 18 March] saw 266 reported cases of suspected
meningitis, leading to 32 known deaths.  This indicates a case fatality
rate (CFR) of 12.03%, much higher than the average CFR of 6.23% reported
since the beginning of the year.  Despite this worrying development,
five counties reached the epidemic threshold during the week, compared
to nine during the previous week.

Due to a shortfall in the global availability of oily chloramphenicol
[currently the main treatment for meningitis], the Ministry of Health of
Southern Sudan and partners have agreed for a switch to ceftriaxone,
which has proved to be equally efficient against the meningitis strain
currently affecting Southern Sudan.  An order for 25,000 vials of this
medicine is being processed.

During last week [ending 18 March], Medecins Sans Frontieres - France
(MSF-F) vaccinated approximately 100,000 people in several areas of Juba
County, including Juba town, representing about 75% of the target
population in the areas concerned.  Meanwhile, MSF ? Belgium (MSF-B) has
vaccinated 86% of the target population in Bor town (Jonglei State), and
MSF ? Switzerland (MSF-CH) vaccinated 154,000 people in Tonj North and
Tonj East counties (Warrap State).

Acute watery diarrhoea (AWD)

During last week, a total of 864 cases of suspected AWD were reported,
leading to 23 known deaths, with a CFR of 2.66%.  This is only slightly
lower than the average CFR of 3.00% observed since January 2007.

Mine action

The survey, assessment and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance
(UXO) were completed this week on the route from Aweil to Malual Baai
(Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State).

A total of 3,657 persons received Mine Risk Education (MRE) this week
throughout Southern Sudan.

A mine was found on 21 March near the road between Tonj (Warrap State)
and Wau (Western Bahr el-Ghazal State).  The road was closed as a
precaution, but was re-opened in less than 24 hours.

Protection

The UNFPA has facilitated this week a visit for the Southern Sudan
HIV/AIDS Commission to Ghana.  This enabled participants to acquire the
expertise of the west African state's AIDS Commission, which many
observers believe has been very effective in establishing coherent and
responsive HIV/AIDS programmes.

Water and Sanitation

The UNICEF completed two boreholes in Rumbek North County (Lakes State)
this week, providing drinking water to 1,000 beneficiaries.  This marked
the successful conclusion of a drilling campaign which saw 14 boreholes
completed in the area.

Forty-five members of Water Management Committees (WMCs) in Rumbek East
County (of whom 40% female) attended a three-day training this week.
This equipped them with knowledge on the issues of ownership, community
participation, and sustainability for water points.  Meanwhile in the
same county, 18 village-level caretakers were trained and equipped with
tools, enabling them to undertake preventive maintenance and sanitation
work, covering nine water points.

Forthcoming events, missions, and activities

- International Mine Action Day, 4 April, 16:00 ? 18:00.  Buluk Square,
Juba.

Notes:

(1) Four types of organized IDP movements are planned for 2007 in
Southern Sudan: (1) from northern Sudan to Southern Sudan; (2) from
South Darfur to Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State; (3) from Wau County
(Western Bahr el-Ghazal State) to Warrap State; and (4) from the
Equatoria states to Jonglei State.

(2) Organized repatriation of refugees in 2007 is due to happen mainly
from five countries: CAR, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.

If you have inputs for the next edition, or questions and comments on
this one, please contact:

Maurizio Giuliano, Public Information Officer, United Nations, Juba,
Sudan, Email: giuliano@un.org, Telephone: +249-91-2179084

Melissa Phillips, Coordination and Information Officer, United Nations,
Juba, Sudan, Email: phillipsm@un.org, Telephone: +249-91-2501652

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