Over a million people in South Sudan have been displaced since the violence started in December 2013. Since there was no possibility to cultivate the land, over three million people could be victim of food shortages in the coming months. A famine is feared. ICCO and Kerk in Actie support the people in South Sudan, combining emergency aid and long term programs focusing on livelihood and reconciliation.
About 100,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) continue to find shelter in UNMISS Protection of Civilian (PoC) sites. Food insecurity is increasing and living conditions are worsening due to the violence, scarce water, weather circumstances, and the imminent threat of disease.
During the emergency phase, the focus of ICCO and Kerk in Actie (both part of the ICCO-Cooperation) is giving people access to essential life-saving item. And reducing vulnerability and realizing a safe environment to internally displaced people and their host communities. Key activities are:
- Distribution of essential and immediate non-food items, like drinking water, blankets, jerry cans and soap. A total of 279 household and 3.500 individuals have received relief items.
- Basic health care and hygiene trainings, men and women have been trained to teach about hygiene to help avoid outbreaks of infectious diseases in the camps.
- Psychosocial support for people, special attention is given to children traumatized by the violence.
- Child protection and learning structures; like re-unification of families and establishing playgrounds in IDP camps.
- Livelihoods support and strengthening resilience.
- Advocacy aimed at peaceful conflict resolution.
ICCO and Kerk in Actie are working in South Sudan in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, as well as Upper Nile, Western Equatoria, Central and Western Bahr-el-Ghazal. In Uganda we work local partners and the ACT Alliance providing emergency support to 73,000 South Sudanese refugees.
Long term
Our long term development programs in South Sudan continue to have impact in the communities. Through civic education activities with the local partner, ICCO-Cooperation is helping South Sudanese population to understand their social, political and economic rights and play their roles in overseeing the service delivery by public, private and non governmental institutions.
With local NGOs, ICCO-Cooperation complements the efforts of the government and international NGOs with equipping in peace building at local level, reconciliation, and local governance as well as human rights protection to strengthen local governance and leadership in the communities.
Women
Thanks to Dutch government funding a project is underway to empower women to effectively participate in political decision making processes and in the security. Over 300 local NGOs are trained in financial and organizational management capacities as well as linking them to resources for sustainability.
Reconciliation
Violence between Mvolo of Western Equatoria State and Marpordit of Lake state left hundreds of people dead, houses and properties burned to ashes. With ALARM Africa a local NGO, ICCO facilitated reconciliation between these two communities, who are now sharing resources, services and infrastructure building a peaceful co-existence and promoting unity. In Western Bahr el Ghazal state, 2,790 poor and marginalized households have been targeted for our food and nutrition program to improve food security and create sustainable livelihoods.
ICCO-Cooperation feels that more international support and attention is essential for the people of South Sudan. They need help to survive the food shortage during the next months, but most of all they need support to work on reconciliation and be able to go back home and rebuild their lives again.