Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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Between 1-31 May 2023 65,399 people, including 27,746 children, crossed into South Sudan fleeing violent conflict in Sudan, 95 per cent of whom are South Sudanese.
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In response to the Sudan crisis, UNICEF continued to scale up life-saving WASH, Health,
Nutrition, Child Protection, Education and Social and Behavioral Change services at borders and transit sites, reaching over 73,000 individuals including approximately, 48,000 children. -
During May, UNICEF and partners provided primary health care services to over 220,000 people (123,928 female), including 614,352 children (59,509 girls) under 5 years.
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In May 2023, malaria accounted for 24 per cent of morbidities. To reduce malaria transmission cases, 2,598,802 long-lasting treated nets were distributed through fixed health facilities in the states of Eastern Equatoria, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Upper Nile, Unity and Ruweng Administrative Area, benefiting 1,052,828 people (including 397,346 under-5 children and 655,482 pregnant mothers).
FUNDING OVERVIEW AND PARTNERSHIPS
In 2023, UNICEF's Humanitarian Action for Children requires US$ 217.2 million to meet the critical needs of 5.3 million people, including 3.5 million children affected by multiple shocks in South Sudan. The funds will enable UNICEF, with the Government and partners, to deliver integrated services in WASH, Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, Health, and Social Behavior Change (SBC) services to protect children's rights and to deliver on the Core Commitments to Children in Humanitarian Action. As of May 2023, UNICEF received $84 million against the 2023 Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal, with a funding gap of $133.2 million (71 per cent). In addition, UNICEF's response to the Sudan crisis, requires an additional $8.6 million within the first three months to meet the needs of 94,000 individuals with life-saving assistance. UNICEF is thankful for the contributions of donors that help provide services to support South Sudan's vulnerable children and women. Nonetheless, South Sudan remains one of the most complex humanitarian environments in the world, and there is an urgent need for flexible, multi-year funding to deliver integrated packages of support for children's survival, protection, and education while building community resilience.
SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
South Sudan has experienced an influx of refugees and returnees across multiple locations since the start of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023. As of May 2023, a total of 15,903 households and 83,097 individuals, including 27,746 children have been registered arriving at Sudan points of entry in Upper Nile, Unity, Northern Bahr El Ghazel, Raja, Abyei and Ruweng Administrative Areas. The conflict in Sudan has already affected South Sudan's struggling economy, particularly in northern States bordering Sudan, such as Upper Nile,
Unity, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Abyei and Ruweng administrative areas. These states, which heavily rely on imports of goods from Sudan, are experiencing increasing food prices and fuel costs. As a result of returnees and refugees, population overflow could potentially exacerbate the population's food insecurity, protection risks and vulnerabilities.
UNICEF and its partners continue providing services and support to respond to the humanitarian needs of the returnees and refugees in transit sites in Upper Nile, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, and Unity States through integrated services in WASH, Health, Nutrition, Child protection, WASH, and Social and Behavior Change (SBC) communication in transit camps and points of entry.
Furthermore, South Sudan remains in an extremely fragile health context. In May 2023, 83 suspected measles cases, including two deaths, were reported since the confirmed measles outbreak in Renk County, Upper Nile State. A growing number of preventative and communicable diseases were reported due to high vulnerability and poor living conditions, combined with the beginnings of the rainy season and the health systems stretched. Malaria, acute watery diarrhoea (AWD), and acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were the most reported diseases in May amongst returnees and refugees from Sudan. Mental health, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), will likely increase due to the traumatic events they experienced in Sudan. The risk of exposure to protection incidents, and gender-based violence is likely to increase due to the high vulnerability factors, including lack of essential services such as shelter, food, clean water, and sanitation facilities, loss of assets, including financial resources, and disruption of the social protection system.
Attacks on humanitarian individuals and convoys remain a threat in many parts of South Sudan. On May 16th, 2023, two security guards recruited by "ForAfrika", a UNICEF nutrition partner, were shot dead on the same night at the Tenet outpatient therapeutic feeding program (OTP) Site in Pochalla county. Additionally, two nutrition sites, Lokoromach and Maruwo, in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, were looted of nutrition supplies on the same night of the shooting incident. These incidents have impacted the delivery of humanitarian supplies, and outreach and supervision have been halted due to insecurity. This will further impact the dire needs of the local population. Besides internal issues, tensions continue at the border between South Sudan and Central Africa Republic (CAR), causing population displacement from Source Yubu centre in Western Equatoria State, impacting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected population. The interagency assessment and response mission scheduled to assist some 600 refugees displaced from CAR to Source Yubu was called off due to security concerns.