PAH’s Emergency Responses in South Sudan
PAH’s Emergency Responses in South Sudan
South Sudan has been facing serious challenges since its independence. The conflict (on going since December 2013) renewed after the July 2016 fighting in Juba. The regions that were viewed as peaceful in the past years, mainly the Greater Equatoria states and Western Bar El Ghazal State, as well as Greater Upper Nile are experiencing huge violence. The conflict is causing a massive displacement of people.
1,222[1] million South Sudanese are refugees in the neighboring countries and over 1,8 million[2] are internally displaced. Natural disasters and disease outbreaks such as cholera have made the situation of the vulnerable, conflict-affected communities even worse. Whole communities were forced to flee, leaving behind all their life belongings, settling in different areas, lacking shelter, clean water sources, basic household items and sanitary facilities.
These urgent humanitarian needs are addressed by national and international NGOs present in South Sudan.
One of them is Polish Humanitarian Action, whose mission in South Sudan in 2016 has its 10th anniversary. Under the coordination of Shelter and NFI Cluster and financed from Common Humanitarian Fund, PAH provides emergency NFI distributions.
NFI and Shelter distribution
PAH through its emergency response teams (ERT) focused on the most vulnerable communities affected by the crisis, facing poor living and sanitation conditions and lacking shelter and basic household items in the Jonglei, Unity, Central Equatoria and Western Equatoria. The ERT intervened in remote and insecure areas as these areas have limited access. A greater number of people have moved to settle into these areas because of safety and security reasons. Movements of IDPs cause pressure on hosting communities, which often deal with limited resources. For this reason PAH provides aid both to IDPs and the host population. Within the last project of emergency NFI distribution, the number of beneficiaries were higher than projected, exceeding 50 000 people - in which 31,143 were IDPs and 19,716 - host communities’ members. The emergency responses have not been limited to the locations in the project proposal as the needs of conflict affected communities in the Equatorial states have also been served with lifesaving items.
In Central Equatorial State and Juba County, shelter support materials were provided to conflict-affected IDPs living under trees in the open bushes.
Moreover, family tents were distributed to 60 most vulnerable IDPs in Kuda and Sirimon for IDPs from Dolo Payam in CES (households targeted included those headed by disabled household heads, and those headed by the elderly who were taking care of children left behind as orphans or separated from parents temporarily). Demonstration on the usage and correct handling of the items has been prioritized by the team during distributions in order to promote sustainable and effective use of the items.
Immediate feedback was received from the communities during the interactive sessions on quality, care and life span of the items given to the affected communities. The IDPs were, however, also encouraged to use the locally available materials to construct their shelters.
Addressing the most vulnerable
Within the groups of IDPs, there are always groups of the most vulnerable, who suffer mostly during conflict and displacement. The project priority was given to disabled women and girls, elderly women, female headed households, pregnant and lactating women, as well as to persons with disabilities, unaccompanied minors, unaccompanied elders and those without effective community links. Their situation and needs were taken strongly into consideration on every step of planning and conducting distribution.
Distributions were conducted in areas that were threat-free to the affected and mostly distributions were conducted where there is shade and a water point accessible to the beneficiaries. Distribution points were opened at 8:30am and closed at 4pm this was so to allow beneficiaries to return home early before dark. The most vulnerable are served in separate distribution lines. Separate distribution lines were always set-up for men and women. Both local female and male representatives were employed as support staff during the interventions.
Women were also a part of the post distribution monitoring teams so that female beneficiaries are in a safe environment while giving their feedback.
Cooperation within cluster - SAG
During the interventions conducted by PAH, the technical capacity of the Emergency Response Team has significantly improved as they have taken the lead in joint coordinated responses together with partners in the S/NFIs cluster. Coordinated and joint response is the cluster’s approach to respond to the needs of the affected communities in most effective, efficient and fastest way. Taking into consideration the importance of pooling both financial and technical resources, the good cooperation between humanitarian actors within cluster is needed.
S/NFI cluster has established the Strategic Advisory Group, which has the aim to ensure the highest standards of cluster works. Between others: by providing strategic oversight on integration of cross-Cluster planning and inclusion of cross-cutting issues, by supporting the Cluster Team in setting up dedicated mechanisms and systems for transparent and equitable allocation and monitoring of ‘pooled’ funds available to the Cluster, by ensuring technical standards are agreed and consistently applied and others. The SAG contains representatives of Cluster Team: Cluster Coordinator, Cluster Co-Coordinator and Cluster Roving Coordinator; representative of the Cluster Lead Agency (IOM); 2 selected representatives of International NGOs; 2 selected representatives of National NGOs; 1 representatives of the Donors.
In appreciation of their high quality work and cooperation, PAH was chosen as members of Strategic Advisory Group of Shelter and NFI Cluster for the period of November 2016 – March 2017.
[1] Source: UNHCR, http://data.unhcr.org/SouthSudan/regional.php (28.11.2016)
[2] Source: UN OCHA, http://www.unocha.org/south-sudan (28.11.2016)