South Sudan: Floods - Jun 2012

Bonifacio Taban

Last updated on: November 08, 2013 4:39 PM

BENTIU — A major infrastructure project was launched in Unity state this week, with phase one focused on repairing roads that have been washed away by two years of heavy rains, officials said.

The first phase of the project will repair 45 kilometers of roadway that connect the state capital, Bentiu, to surrounding towns and villages.

South Sudan: Warrap State in South Sudan is frequently affected by floods. Last year, an interagency assessment conducted in August 2012 reported that 8,580 individuals were affected across the State. Many locations in Warrap were even rendered inaccessible by flooding.

Food security outcomes improves with harvest in October

KEY MESSAGES

• Civil insecurity continues to limit access to markets, livestock, and humanitarian assistance, particularly in Pibor County. IPC v2.0 Phase 3 (Crisis) food insecurity is expected throughout the Outlook period.

Executive summary

A real-time review of UNHCR’s response to the Sudanese refugee emergency in South Sudan was conducted from 4-14 December 2012. The mission noted a challenging context where planning efforts and emergency responses were adversely affected by geographical and climatological conditions. Moreover, a number of institutional, bureaucratic and operational impediments further reduced the pace at which UNHCR was able to respond to the unfolding crisis, resulting in an initially insufficient scale-up to respond to the emergency.

Two years after South Sudan’s independence, the scale and seriousness of the country’s internal displacement situation is often under-reported and remains a major concern. The recent violence in Jonglei has brought the issue to the fore, at least as far as that particular state is concerned, but it has also highlighted the many challenges involved in responding to complex and often entrenched displacement dynamics.

June 23, 2013 (BENTIU) - The United Nations World Food Programme has granted five months food assistance to 870 household of vulnerable men and women in Unity state.

The first food distribution to the victims was done on May 15 last following a request to help elderly people that was proposed by the ministry of gender, child and social welfare.

The food aid, which will reach 1,114 people in Rubkotna and Bentiu is aimed at empower the helpless people in the communities.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Planting of 2013 cereal crops is concluded in southern area, while it is ongoing in northern areas

• Reduced planted area expected in most conflict-affected areas

• Timely onset and good amounts of seasonal rains favouring crops and pasture

• Prices of sorghum, the main food staple, on the rise in most markets

• About 1.2 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure until next harvest starts in August/September

Crisis food insecurity peaks with the May-August lean season

KEY MESSAGES

• With the recent outbreak of conflict, food security outcomes are expected to be worst in Pibor County, Jonglei State, due to the impacts of prolonged, severe, and deteriorating civil security. Some food deficits (IPC Phase 3: Crisis) outcomes are expected at least through the Outlook period (September).

Highlights and priorities

• March saw South Sudan and Sudan agree to implement September 2012 Comprehensive Peace Agreements, resulting in the resumption of oil production and an improvement in relations between the two nations. Austerity measures had stunted economic growth over the past year, following the shutdown of oil activities in January 2012.

Bonifacio Taban

BENTIU, SOUTH SUDAN — A shortage of seed stock in Unity state in South Sudan is keeping residents from growing their own food, and they have turned to the government and local NGOs for help amid fears of widespread hunger if nothing is done to help them.

The plea for sorghum, maize, bean and vegetable seed stock comes after severe flooding last year wiped out the harvest in many communities, leaving food and seed supplies critically low and many residents hungry.

Crisis food insecurity outcomes increase as the lean season progresses

KEY MESSAGES

• Acute food security outcomes worsen as the lean season progresses due to high food prices, reduced income, and persistent insecurity that continually disrupt livelihoods of the affected population. Displaced populations in Jonglei’s Pibor County are the worst affected as insecurity has deterred humanitarian access. Pibor County and other areas face Crisis (IPC Phase 3) acute food insecurity (Figure 1).

Fighting continued unabated throughout Syria, in particular in Hama, Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Dar’a, Deir-ez-Zor, Homs, Idleb, Lattakia and around Damascus. 6.8 million people are in need in of humanitarian assistance in the country, 4.25 million people are displaced and over 1.4 million people have fled into neighbouring countries.

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

April 21, 2013 (NYAL) – At least 15 people have died from hunger in South Sudan Unity state’s Payinjiar county following last year’s heavy floods and poor harvests, local officials said.

Throughout their daily lives, parents and their children reportedly comb through the bushes in search for tree leaves and roots, while others traverse existing rivers looking for fish and water lilies.

Author: Sultana Begum, Humanitarian Policy Advisor, Oxfam GB

Starting in November 2011, thousands of refugees fleeing aerial bombardments and food shortages in Blue Nile, Sudan, arrived in Maban County, in Upper Nile state, South Sudan. The international community and the Government of South Sudan were poorly prepared to effectively meet the needs of these refugees and, as a result, refugees suffered unnecessarily.

March 31, 2013 (BOR) - Over 12,000 people have been displaced by floods that resulted from heavy rains in various parts of South Sudan’s Jonglei state, an official told Sudan Tribune.

The worst affected areas, according to Twic County East commissioner, Dau Akoi, were people living in the lowlands of within Jalle, Twic East, Maar and Lith payams (districts).

He said the rise in water levels from the Nile River and unrepaired dyke in the area, mainly caused the heavy flooding.

Farmers affected by last year’s flooding in Unity would receive food-for-work during the current agricultural season, a top state official announced today.

Speaking to journalists in the capital Bentiu, Deputy and Acting Unity Governor of Michael Chanjiak Gai said the World Food Programme (WFP) would provide food for agricultural work. The UN Development Programme had already provided four tractors for the season.

Within ACTED’s fifteen year experience working in Africa and during our fifth year presence in South Sudan, we have been able to expand our support from food security and livelihoods; water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, to the overall Refugee camp management . 2012 also marks the year of innovation and learning for ACTED in our response to emergency and relief, strengthening accountability and transparency mechanisms, while enhancing capacity building of national colleagues and continuing our partnership with the authorities on policies, goals and mutual outcomes.

On 6 March at least 27 people were killed in a standoff between approximately 200 members of the Royal Sulu Army, an armed Islamic group from the southern Philippines who have occupied the Sabah region in Malaysia since 9 February, and the Government of Malaysia.

In Syria, intense fighting was reported in Raqqa, Homs and Quneitra. The number of Syrian refugees continued to rise, amounting to a total of 1,086,975 as of 11 March.

Clashes and violence escalated during the past week in Bangladesh, following the sentencing to death of a senior Islamist leader, marking the bloodiest bout of violence since the country’s independence four decades ago.

Continuous rains have caused floods in Agusan del Sur in the Province of Pampanga in the Philippines. Some 49,073 persons were affected as of 27 February.

Measured improvements may be sustained from January through June in some areas

KEY MESSAGES

• Significant improvements in current food security outcomes have occurred, even as 12.9 million people remain in the Stressed (IPC Phase 2), Crisis (IPC Phase 3), and Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of acute food insecurity.