Attachments
Highlights
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Over 106,130 children were screened for acute malnutrition, of which 5,135 were identified as severely and 14,069 as moderately malnourished.
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Eighty four cholera cases were reported among cattle camp populations in Awerial (Dor), Yirol East (Tharnuar), and Ayod (Buol and Tar). UNICEF continued its integrated response to cholera outbreak in affected cattle camps curtailing transmission in hot spots of Duk, Jonglei.
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In the reporting period seven new measles and 225 new cases of varicella (chicken pox) were reported, bringing the total number of measles cases to 511 in 2017 and chicken pox to 3,245 since December 2016. UNICEF and partners prepraration to vaccinate an estimated 2.3 million children against measles is in progress. Additionally, UNICEF is supporting partners with supplies for supportive management of chicken pox and associated complications.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian
Needs The food security situation in the country remains critical. An estimated 5.5 million people (47 per cent of the population) are projected to be severely food insecure at the height of the 2017 lean season between May to July 2017, and over 1.1 million children are estimated to be acutely malnourished this year. Approximately 100,000 people currently face starvation in Leer and Mayendit counties of Unity state, while one million are on the edge of famine. Further, there is increased food insecurity in Jonglei, where half of the nutrition programme sites have been disrupted due to insecurity, especially in the counties of Akobo, Fangak, Pigi and Ayod. The humanitarian situation in the country is expected to continue to deteriorate throughout the first half of 2017.
The security situation across the country remains unstable. The areas of Upper Nile, Jonglei, Greater Equatoria and Northern Bahr el Ghazal remain volatile with violent clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the SPLA in Opposition (SPLA-iO). The volatile security situation is impacting humanitarian access, leaving vulnerable populations unable to reach life-saving services.
Insecurity in Wau town has triggered an influx of over 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Wau town and the surrounding areas, resulting in congestion in existing settlements. This further strained already limited water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and can create an environment for communicable diseases to spread further, especially with the cholera outbreak in many locations of South Sudan. UNICEF with partners, is responding by providing the additional WASH facilities for new arrivals.
During the third week of April, new cholera cases have been reported from Awerial (66 cases) and Yirol East and West counties (eight cases) in Lakes state as well as from Ayod, northern Jonglei (seven cases). No new cases have been reported from Duk, where cholera transmission was confirmed earlier in April. Since the first cholera case of the 2016/2017 outbreak was confirmed on 18 June 2016 in Juba, 6,774 cases including 221 deaths (70 from health facilities and 151 from the community; case fatality rate 3.25 per cent) have been reported from 18 counties across the country. The case spike is attributable to a cholera outbreak in the Mamour cattle camp in Duk, which was in a swampy area where the herdsmen sought water and pasture for their cattle. As pastures reduce and seasonal water streams dry up during the dry season, the cattle camps gravitate and converge on the remaining water source usualy in the swampy areas along the Nile. The consumption of this water caused the spike in cases.
The number of measles cases persists. During the reporting period, seven cases were reported, bringing the total number to 511 in 2017 with one death. Additionally, since the beginning of January 2017, 1,200 suspected cases of varicella (chicken pox) have been reported in the Wau protection of civilians (PoC) site as well in the host community.