Sudan - Yirol County, Bahr-el-Ghazal
Appeal Target: US$ 479,535
Balance requested to ACT Alliance: US$ 461,380
Geneva, 10 March 2004
Dear Colleagues,
While various attempts have been made in the past to bring an end to the civil war in Sudan, ongoing negotiations being held in Naivasha, Kenya under the auspices of the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have been viewed by many as offering the best chance of bringing peace to Africa's largest country since the current phase of conflict began in 1983. With real progress in peace talks offering hope of an end to almost 20 years of war, aid agencies are beginning to see improvements in their operating environment on the ground, and many are looking forward to helping the war-torn Sudanese people to finally prosper in a peaceful Sudan.
The current IDPs situation in Yirol County needs urgent attention in order that they receive assistance before the onset of rains between May and October. The IDPs through their leaders and the SRRC have appealed to the international community for help through the provision of basic survival care kits and other services.
With the potential movement and return of large numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees displaced by war, drought, and inter-ethnic conflict, the rehabilitation of the basic infrastructure (roads and bridges) will be imperative if there is to be any meaningful sustainable development process upon their return home. The civil war has left most of the infrastructure in the south destroyed and in some places virtually non-existent. Whilst there are plans by WFP and certain donors to rehabilitate roads in south Sudan, it will be the major routes closer to the borders and between major towns, which will receive priority. Other routes and feeder roads will be in collaboration between WFP and NGOs in Food For Work (FFW) activities throughout the south. In order to be prepared for the eventual return and reintegration of returning IDPs and refugees LWF/DWS is moving ahead with the relocation of its field office during the coming year.
ACT members in Sudan Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan (CEAS)/Lutheran World Federation (LWF) are proposing to assist IDPs and returnees in South Sudan through:
- Resettlement IDP kits
- Road & Ferry rehabilitation
- Relocation of the LWF/DWS office compounds
ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
Project Completion Date: 31 December 2004
Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested
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US$
|
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| Total Appeal Target(s) | 479,535 |
| Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd. | 18,155 |
| Balance Requested from ACT Network | 461,380 |
Please kindly send your contributions to the following ACT bank account:
Account Number - 240-432629.60A (USD)
Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS AG
8, rue du Rhône
P.O. Box 2600
1211 Geneva 4
SWITZERLAND
Swift address: UBSW CHZH12A
Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (direct tel. +4122/791.60.38, e-mail address jkg@act-intl.org) of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.
We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.
Thor-Arne Prois
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office
I. REQUESTING AGENCY INFORMATION
Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan (CEAS)
II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION
Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan (CEAS) founded in 1996, is an ecumenical consortium made up of three international Christian networks (Caritas Internationalis, Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches) and the two Sudanese Church Councils (Sudan Council of Churches and the New Sudan Council of Churches).
By virtue of its mandate and composition, CEAS always works in partnership with other organisations, both local and international. These include general church development agencies, individual church dioceses, international faith-based NGOs and Sudanese indigenous NGOs (SINGOs).
In the intervention presented here, CEAS' partners will comprise the Lutheran World Federation / Department for World Serviced (LWF/DWS ) who is an ACT member and the implementing partners for this appeal.
CEAS' recent experience in emergency response includes, but is not limited to:
- Relief Assistance for IDPs in Eastern Equatoria & Northern Bahr el Ghazal - AFSD-31 Appeal Target: US$ 918,235 of 11 February 2003. This appeal is implemented by the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) in the regions of Equatoria & Bahr el Ghazal of Southern Sudan
- Funj Region - Emergency Feeding & Food Security for IDPs & Local Population - AFSD-33Appeal Target: US$ 436,734 of 11 April 2003. CEAS is the implementing partner for this appeal in conjunction with an indigenous NGO-Fazugli Relief & Development Agency (ROOF) in Southern Blue Nile region of Southern Sudan
The Lutheran World Federation, Department for World Service (LWF/DWS) has for over fifty years been involved in various humanitarian emergencies and relief operations around the world. Recently LWF/DWS has been managing major emergencies and relief operations in Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. LWF/DWS Kenya Sudan programme implements relief projects in Kenya and Sudan including the Kakuma Refugee Assistance Project and Turkana project in northwestern Kenya, as well as the South Sudan Peace and Capacity Building Project, Bahr El Ghazal region in South Sudan.
LWF/DWS is a member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) network. The latest ACT Appeal includes AFKE-41 appeal for Kakuma refugee camp.
ACT Member's implementing partners
LWF/DWS Community Development Officer (CDO) and Assistants (CDAs) will work closely with the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission as well as the local peace councils and committees in efforts to support and assist them carry out their work. This shall include close collaboration at the county and payam levels.
LWF/DWS also works closely with Sudan Relief and Development Agency (SURDA). SURDA is an indigenous non-governmental organisation established in 2001. It is governed by a Board of members elected by stakeholders among the surrounding community in Yirol County and is run by a Secretariat headed by an executive Director. The SURDA Secretariat is currently based in Nairobi and a Field manager runs the field operations.
As an indigenous Sudanese institution, recognising the needs and aspirations of the people of South Sudan, SURDA was formed to empower the population through the process of capacity building, training, research, resource mobilisation and utilisation with a view to be self-reliant and to engage in relief, rehabilitation, resettlement, reconstruction and sustainable development.
As part of its going activities in peace and capacity building, LWF/DWS works closely with the peace councils and committees established in the county since 1999 following the Wunlit peace agreement. In this regard LWF/DWS expects to collaborate with the local churches and the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), in continued efforts to support the peace building structures within those communities hosting IDPs.
III. DESCRIPTION of the EMERGENCY SITUATION
Background
While various attempts have been made in the past to bring an end to the civil war in Sudan, ongoing negotiations being held in Naivasha, Kenya under the auspices of the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have been viewed by many as offering the best chance of bringing peace to Africa's largest country since the current phase of conflict began in 1983. With real progress in peace talks offering hope of an end to almost 20 years of war, aid agencies are beginning to see improvements in their operating environment on the ground, and many are looking forward to helping the war-torn Sudanese people to finally prosper in a peaceful Sudan. Furthermore, interagency discussions and assessments on repatriation, resettlement and re-integration are gathering pace and can no longer be ignored. Preparedness for this potential movement of IDPs and returnees is becoming a priority.
The two warring parties, the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Government of Sudan (GoS) have agreed on some key issues on their way to signing a sustainable peace agreement. Cessation of hostilities, establishment of two armies, sharing of wealth (oil revenue) and the gradual withdrawal of the GoS army from the south are some of the key agreements already brokered by the two sides. Other issues such as power sharing and agreement on three disputed 'border' areas are still under discussion. However a comprehensive peace agreement is expected during the first half of 2004.
With the potential movement and return of large numbers of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Currently there are an estimated 4 million IDPs in Sudan and almost 500,000 refugees in the neighbouring countries. and refugees displaced by war, drought, and inter-ethnic conflict, the rehabilitation of the basic infrastructure (roads and bridges) will be imperative if there is to be any meaningful sustainable development process upon their return home. The civil war has left most of the infrastructure in the south destroyed and in some places virtually non-existent. Whilst there are plans by WFP and certain donors to rehabilitate roads in south Sudan, it will be the major routes closer to the borders and between major towns, which will receive priority. Other routes and feeder roads will be in collaboration between WFP and NGOs in Food For Work (FFW) activities throughout the south.
IV. DESCRIPTION of the SITUATION in the AREA of PROPOSED RESPONSE
Current situation in the area of proposed response
The influx of IDPs and returnees fleeing northern Bahr-el-Ghazal and western Upper Nile to Lou and Adior Payams of Yirol County continues. An assessment carried out in October 2003 by the local authorities, the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SRRC), LWF/DWS staff from Yirol project office, other Sudanese Indigenous Non Governmental Organisations (SINGOS), civil society, church groups and leaders of both the IDPs and the host community indicated a total of 3,832 (or 638 households) new arrivals in Lou Payam (specifically Pagarou). There were no new arrivals in Adior at the time of the assessment, and the numbers of IDPs remained at 1,044 (or 174 households) from an earlier influx (February 2003). Currently the total figure stands at 4,876 persons (IDPs). The projected figure (of fleeing IDPs) is likely to increase rather than decrease even with a peace agreement because of the uncertainty of guaranteed security on the ground in the oil states to the north including Leer, Ganyliel, Bentiu, Malakal.
The overall road network in Yirol County is in a very bad state. Due to the negative impact of the war on social infrastructure, a lot of damage was done and no meaningful attention has been given to rehabilitate the road infrastructure in many parts of south Sudan. Minimal repairs have been carried out but with limited success due to a lack of resources for maintenance and management. It is important to note that with the current bad state of the road network, repatriation will be delayed. Such bad road conditions also result in much higher vehicle operating and maintenance costs and ultimately impact negatively on implementation due to interruptions, breakdowns and delays in obtaining the correct spare parts.
In this regard the rehabilitation of both a ferry and 10 kilometres of road in Yirol County (Lakes region) will help ensure that essential access, goods and services get through to benefit the people of Yirol, including both the host communities and those who have returned to the county following a peace agreement. Furthermore, it will provide an accessible route both in the dry season and during the rains for the movement of trucks and other vehicles and help open up the county in a post war Sudan.
The Payei-Yirol road is a major link between Yirol County/town and Rumbek town. Rumbek is currently the main administrative centre for Bahr-el-Ghazal region and is 120 kilometres west of Yirol. The river Payei is located 13 kilometres west of Yirol. During the rainy season (May to December) the river overflows and cannot be crossed without the use of a canoe or a ferry. In order to facilitate the movement of food across river Payei during the rainy season in the 2001 Food For Peace (FFP) project, LWF/DWS teamed up with other stakeholders including Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) and Civicon (trucking company who built the ferry at the site in Sudan) and installed a simple manually operated ferry to facilitate the movement of food items and rehabilitation materials to Yirol County from Uganda.
Currently this section of road from Yirol to the river is virtually impassable and due to lack of funds at the time, the manually operated ferry (attached to a steel cable and pulled across the river by hand) never had any proper landing flaps fitted (to allow dis/embarking), nor were there any paved ramps put in place on each shore. As a result during the annual flooding of the river (June to December) it is impossible to utilise the ferry from the shore and to easily embark and disembark with vehicle or supplies.
In an effort to address the above problems and to provide baseline data upon which the planned rehabilitation work and the costs are based, LWF/DWS recruited the services of a qualified roads and construction engineer to conduct an assessment of the road and ferry in October 2003. Further details of the costs and the work to be done are indicated in later sections of this proposal and in the budget.
Impact on human lives in the area of proposed response
As conflict, insecurity and oil exploration continues to displace people from the oil states, in particular from the communities of Leer, Ganyliel, Bentiu and Malakal it has forced people to travel southwards in search of safer havens. Walking through difficult terrain, often swamplands and difficult for the young and elderly can take anything from 9-15 days on foot. They experience hunger, sickness, death on the way especially the elderly and children due to the longer distances covered.
Pagarau is the first community in the northern part of Yirol county where IDPs seek refuge and support from the local community who depend on both cattle and fishing for their livelihoods. Upon arrival in Pagarau they are afforded some degree of assistance from the local community in terms of initial shelter and water, whilst they try to organise their own shelter. However the increase in the number of up to 4,876 persons (this figure is based on a joint assessment mission conducted in October 2003 - details are given in section IV below under 'number and type' & 'criteria for selection') is causing a strain on the local community in Yirol County. This strain at times ends up in confrontations with local groups. Cases of violent conflicts are common in grazing areas and water sources as a result of the pressure IDPs and local communities are putting on currently limited resources. In some cases the IDPs and local groups have managed to strike up cordial relationships regardless of the tribal and ethnic differences. In such cases the local communities (Dinkas) are compelled to assist IDPs (Nuers) with food and shelter. The host community through the civil administration is also willing to allocate land for cultivation to the IDPs but this gesture is rendered futile by lack of seeds for planting by the IDPs.
The current IDPs situation in Yirol County needs urgent attention in order that they receive assistance before the onset of rains between May and October. The IDPs through their leaders and the SRRC have appealed to the international community for help through the provision of basic survival care kits and other services. This assistance will include stepping up capacity building and longer term development initiatives that would prepare them to integrate in their new environment. It will also help in reducing tension between the host community and the IDPs, as they will not be so dependant on the host community for their survival.
Description of damages in the area of proposed response
The 13kms of road to the west of Yirol town is in such a deplorable state that it takes 90 minutes to travel this stretch of road (see photo in annex). It is a causeway type road, which has been eroded and allowed to decay with each rainy season. The rains expected in May/June will cut Yirol off from the west (Rumbek county and the road to Uganda) meaning no access to the county by road until December 2004/January 2005, by which time it will have a negative impact on IDPs and returnees trying to return home and others passing through - an estimated 170 families (1,020 persons) have returned between November 2003 and January 2004 Source SRRC/CDAs as well as accessing essential goods and services to the many thousands of people already living in Yirol county. Close to 234,000 persons are located east of the river Payei in the county Source: LWF/DWS Baseline Data report -Yirol County, October 2003 / SRRC based on hut tax collected by Gol leaders and sub-chiefs. .
Security situation in the area of proposed response
Yirol county has been experiencing relative peace for over one year now. No bombings or ground attacks were experienced during 2003. This makes the area more attractive and safe for IDPs. If the relative peace continues, there is a possibility of increased influx of IDPs. This will not only include those still fleeing pockets of unrest and insecurity to the north (e.g. the oil states), but it will include those returning to Yirol (returning IDPs and refugees) and others passing through Yirol county following the signing of the peace agreement. It is still unclear at this stage how many may even choose to settle in Yirol County given that it is the planned headquarters and centre of administration for the south.
Location for proposed response
The specific locations to be targeted are two areas in Yirol County, the first being in Lou and Adior payams some 40 kilometres (or 1 hour by road) to the north of Yirol town where there is proposed assistance to IDPs arriving from the oil states. The second location is immediately to the west of Yirol town, to rehabilitate a 10 kilometre stretch of the 13 kilometre road from the town to the Payei river, and to rehabilitate the ferry on the river to enable access into and out of the county from / to the west and Rumbek County & Uganda.
Yirol county is situated in the south east of the Bahr-el-Ghazal region. The river Nile, Tali and Mundri counties of Equatoria to the South, Rumbek County to the west and north-west, and Bor and Ganyiel counties to the north and north-east border it to the east. The land comprises the fertile green belt to the south, the rich grazing lands of "toic" to the north, and the ironstone plateau to the west.
- The Dinka, a tribe of Nilotic origin is the main inhabitant of the County.
- They are mainly agro-pastoralists. The Dinkas are further divided into various sub tribes and clans. Paramount chiefs (traditional leaders) are the heads of the various clans. The main clans in Yirol are the Ciec, Atuot and Alliap. Some displaced Nuer tribesmen, who immigrated into Yirol due to inter-clan conflicts and escalation of civil war in the oil fields of Western Upper Nile, have settled mainly in Lou Payam. It is still a very traditional and closely-knit community whose cultural beliefs and norms have not been eroded by external influence.
- The Dinka share pastures with the Nuer of Western Upper Nile in the north and the Mundri of Mundri County in the south. Often inter-clan clashes and fighting have erupted between the Nuer and Dinka over the sharing of grazing land and water points. Besides livestock rearing, and agriculture, some Dinka practice fishing along the Nile and Payei Rivers as well as in Yirol, Nyibor and Anyei lakes.
- They have trade links with other areas and people of other regions, e.g. Western Equatoria, Western Upper Nile and other countries, mainly Uganda, from where most commodities are transported by road whenever it is passable. The main mode of internal trade is barter exchange but the external trade is mostly transacted in cash. Five major currencies are used, the Kenya Shilling, the Uganda Shilling, the US dollar, the Sudanese Dinar and the old Sudanese Pound. They sell mainly their livestock and they use the proceeds to "import" whatever is not available locally from Kenya and Uganda.
LWF/DWS has been working in Yirol County since 1998/99 during the emergency period and in 2001 conducting 'Food for Peace' activities. LWF/DWS has ongoing assistance to communities in both Adior and Lou payams in regard to peace and capacity building, as part of its longer term interventions (South Sudan Peace and Capacity building Project). These interventions are supported by an experienced staff team, based in Yirol town where there is an office compound, store and staff accommodation tukuls. CDAs are based in the communities including those in Pagarau where the IDPs have arrived. 4WD and truck transport is also on the ground in Yirol and available for use in support to IDPs and the road and ferry rehabilitation works.
There has been a one time food drop by WFP to the IDPs in Pagarou in October 2003, but this has not continued. There are plans though to provide further food drops during March and April. Meanwhile the IDPs are dependent on host families whilst they try to source wild foods and fish for themselves. Assistance with seeds and fishing lines/hooks would greatly reduce the burden on the host community.
In addition other agencies have provided some assistance including CRS and ICRC who have drilled one borehole each. ICRC is also running a small clinic for the community around Pagarau.
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