South Sudan Crisis Situation Report No. 56 (as of 2 October 2014)

Highlights

• The kala-azar outbreak continued with 4,624 cases reported; compared to 1,614 cumulative cases in the same week in 2013.

• WASH scale-up in Bentiu increased water supply to 12.2 litres per person per day, and sanitation improved to 1 latrine for every 71 people. Work continued in order to reach emergency standards.

• Nutrition indicators were dire with 33 of the 37 counties in critical and very critical nutrition phases located in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, and Warrap States.

• 1.1 billion dollars has so far been contributed to the South Sudan Crisis Response Plan to support humanitarian action.

Situation Overview

Intermittent hostilities continued in Doleib Hill and Canal/Khorfulus areas of Jonglei State. Flight safety assurances to Canal, Kaldak, Khorflus, could not be guaranteed due to heavy presence of armed elements. However, the humanitarian operation site (Kamel) in Pigi County was unaffected by the hostilities. Elsewhere in Jonglei, analysis on returns to Bor town showed that a “general return movement” was not yet taking place, but rather that the situation remained fluid, with people moving in and out of the town.

In Upper Nile State, partners planned a mission to Renk to assess the needs of people displaced by the recent fighting in the area. Renk remained calm, with reports of about 5,000 displaced people returning to the town from the south.

In Lakes State, growing insecurity, combined with poor road conditions, limited humanitarian activities outside Rumbek town, and it was difficult to ascertain the situation outside the urban area. Cattle raids and revenge attacks continued during the week, some of them reportedly fatal.

In Unity State, UN police were investigating the killing of two people inside the PoC site at Bentiu. The security situation otherwise remained calm, but unpredictable.

There were reports of shooting in Yei, Central Equatoria, reportedly by armed elements upset over non-payment of salaries. Further details were unknown, and the situation was reportedly calm thereafter.
Health partners reported malaria on the rise particularly in Awerial, Lakes State and in UN House PoC in Juba.

There were also sixteen measles cases reported during the week: 5 in Awerial and 11 in Lankien, Jonglei.

Kala-azar, an endemic disease in South Sudan, continued to spread, with 4,624 cases reported; compared to 1,614 cumulative cases in the same week last year. Overall, malaria, acute watery diarrhea, and acute respiratory infection remained the main causes of illness among displaced people tracked. Partners stressed that a full response to Kala- azar requires additional health and nutrition partners to support treatment facilities. In addition, more health partners need training on diagnosis and case management.

Food security monitors noted that heavy rainfall continued across the country in September, increasing flooding and compromising crop performance in some areas. More information here .