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This report is the result of a fire risk reduction assessment carried out by a team from Fire Aid in March 2018.
Commissioned by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the combination desktop review and on-site assessment aimed to assess fire risk; community practices, opinions, and responses towards fire; and identify practical strategies for reducing the risk of fire in the Wau Protection of Civilian Adjacent Area (PoCAA), an IDP camp under the protection of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeeping forces.
The assessment was commissioned on the realisation of the fire risk present in the site following a major IDP influx and emergency site rehabilitation. Due to limits on available space and legal limitations on shelter construction, it was not possible to meet Sphere Minimum Standards, especially for shelter spacing. The resulting congested space, cramped living environment, and temporary shelter materials created a site where small-scale fires have taken place, affecting the health, livelihood, and economy of IDP households. Although no major fire has yet occurred, the danger remains present.
Following a desktop review of available data and literature, the Fire Aid team visited South Sudan in March and April 2018. During this time, they met with a full range of key actors, including NGO service providers, UN humanitarian agencies, and UNMISS officials and conducted extensive site visits to the PoCAA in Wau, including community consultations. In addition, the team reviewed IOM storage, warehouse, and office facilities and two Collective Centers managed by CCCM partner agency Action for Development (AFOD), though these findings fall outside the scope of this report.
Based on these visits, interviews and discussions, the following analysis and recommendations have been made. These are aimed at aiding IOM and other humanitarian stakeholders to work together to make improvements in all aspects of fire risk reduction, creating a quantifiably safer and more dignified living environment for displaced persons in the Wau PoCAA.
We believe that the recommendations in this report, if followed, will improve the situation of those concerned.
It is our hope that this will lead to better safety, reduced injury and reduced loss of life in fire incidents among internally displaced people in South Sudan.