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Sudan

ACT Appeal Sudan - Southern Blue Nile: Kurmuk - Assistance to IDPs & Host Community - AFSD-23

Attachments


Appeal Target: US$ 118,720
Balance Requested from ACT Network: US$ 111,880

Geneva, 12 August 2002

Dear Colleagues,

Twelve thousand internally displaced people (IDPs) in Kurmuk county in South Blue Nile, Southern Sudan are in desperate need of food. This is due to the current severe hunger brought about by a combination of factors such as the ongoing war between the Sudan government and the SPLA, and the successive dry season offensives in each of the last four years. The Southern Blue Nile Region is a hotly contested area and has changed hands between the Government of Sudan and the SPLA on several occasions during the last 19 years of the Sudan civil war. The area is strategically important for both the SPLA and the GoS because of its proximity to the Damazin hydroelectric scheme to the north and the Khor Adar Oilfields to the west. Extensive gold deposits also make it potentially rich in other respects.

In late May of this year, the GoS launched an offensive on the town of Geizan and its surroundings and in June 2002 it dropped 16 bombs in Yabus village where the CEAS has an office compound which was narrowly missed by one of the bombs. This led to a displacement of thousands of people in the surrounding areas. Apart from desperation for food, non food items and medical care, there is also need for seeds and tools, as well as water in order to guarantee the longer term well-being of the IDPs and host communities. It must be stated that the IDPs are not living in camps, but interspersed with local population for security reasons.

ACT member Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan (CEAS) proposes to respond to the needs of the affected people through the provision of food for a three-month period, and will also distribute sorghum seeds and tools. The area of the proposed intervention is predominantly a Muslim area where the Sudanese Church is weak. CEAS therefore works in partnership with a local NGO called Relief Organisation of Fazugli (ROOF) which has been working in partnership with CEAS since 1999. Currently, CEAS and ROOF collaborate in the implementation of a number of development activities including food security, education, water and women's activities.

Project Completion Date: 31 October 2002

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested

US$
Total Appeal Target(s)
118,720
Less: Pledges/Contr. Recd.
6,840
Balance Requested from ACT Network
111,880

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 SA
PO Box 2600
1211 Geneva 2
SWITZERLAND

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.

ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org

Ms. Geneviève Jacques
Director
WCC/Cluster on Relations
Thor-Arne Prois
Director, ACT
Robert Granke
Director
LWF/World Service

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.

I. REQUESTING ACT MEMBER INFORMATION

  • Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan (CEAS)

II. IMPLEMENTING ACT MEMBER & PARTNER INFORMATION

Church Ecumenical Action in Sudan (CEAS) was formed in 1996 and 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 generalised 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 Relief Organisation of Fazugli (ROOF): The area of the proposed intervention (Southern Blue Nile Region, Sudan) is a predominantly Muslim area where the Sudanese church is weak. ROOF is an indigenous NGO that has been working in partnership with CEAS since 1999. CEAS and ROOF currently collaborate in the implementation of a number of development activities including food security, education, water and women's activities. In addition, since 2001 ROOF has been attempting to develop an emergency preparedness capacity. ROOF has been instrumental in securing part of the funding (through its own appeal) for humanitarian assistance for this area.

Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association (SRRA): is the humanitarian wing of the SPLA, which is thus, mandated to co-ordinate the relief, rehabilitation and development activities of organisations working in the area.

GOAL: Is an Irish NGO that has been active in Southern Blue Nile since September 2000 in the field of Primary Health Care. For purposes of this project, GOAL has released displaced persons kits for two thousand families and is providing primary health care services.

Samaritan's Purse: Started working in Southern Blue Nile in February 2002, primarily in the health sector. Samaritan's Purse has agreed to locally purchase 20 tonnes of sorghum to meet the immediate food needs of the displaced population.

The SBN Regional Authorities: Southern Blue Nile is one of the five disputed regions that make up the area controlled by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). Located outside or beyond the historical boundary of southern Sudan, the area is administered by a regional authority headed by the Regional Secretary or Governor. Consistent with its capacity building mandate CEAS has, for the past year, been assisting the office of the Governor to establish key departments such as health, education and food security. In this context the local authorities have been involved in conducting assessments and constitute a critical element in the emergency co-ordination team, providing local knowledge, access and security. They have also donated 5 tonnes of sorghum to the IDPs at the onset of the emergency.

III. DESCRIPTION of the EMERGENCY SITUATION

Background

Southern Blue Nile region is bordered by the Ethiopian frontier to the east, Upper Nile Region of southern Sudan to the south and west and by the Ingessena Hills in the northwest. The Blue Nile River also forms one of the boundaries of the region, flowing in a northwesterly direction from the Ethiopian border.

There are two counties in Southern Blue Nile either wholly or partially under the control of the rebel SPLA: Kurmuk County comprising four payams and Geizan County with five payams1.

One county of Upper Nile Region (Mabaan) is also under the "caretaker" administration of Southern Blue Nile.

Southern Blue Nile Region is a contested area that has changed hands between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the SPLA on several occasions during the 19 years of the Sudanese civil war to date. Lying just beyond the boundaries of the historical southern Sudan it is a strategically important area for both SPLA and GoS because of its proximity to the Damazin hydroelectric scheme to the north and the Khor Adar oilfields to the west. Extensive gold deposits also make it potentially rich in other respects.

There has been almost continuous military activity in the region since its most recent capture by the SPLA in 1997 and this reached its peak in the early months of 2001 and 2002 when the GoS attempted to recapture Kurmuk and Geizan towns respectively. From 25 - 29 May 2002, the GOS launched an offensive on the town of Geizan and its surroundings leading to the current emergency situation (described below).

Meanwhile, 2001 witnessed the first incidents of aerial bombardment (Geizan, Kurmuk and Yabus) in many years and the first use of surface to surface ballistic missiles anywhere in Sudan. In June 2002, 16 bombs hit Yabus village, one narrowly missing the CEAS compound. Luckily, no casualties were reported.

The region has one long rainy season that runs from late April to November, with the heaviest rains being experienced from July to September. Most areas of the region are inaccessible during the rainy season. However, some movement remains possible by four-wheel drive tractor. During this time of the year a large percentage of the many rivers that transverse the region swell and make travel difficult. The soil is sticky black cotton. The rest of the year is dry and very hot.

CEAS commenced operations in Southern Blue Nile in 1997 with the relatively modest aim of providing food for three months and inputs of seeds and tools for 12,500 people around Kurmuk town. Secondary objectives during this phase were to provide health materials for Kurmuk Hospital and education supplies to nearby schools. In 1998 it targeted 24,000 people with emergency food aid, seeds and tools. From 1999 to date the programme has taken a more developmental approach in the implementation of food security, water, health, education, women's projects and capacity building for ROOF. However, CEAS can / will also assist in any emergency situations that may arise.

Current Emergency Situation

In an appeal sent out by ROOF to their supporters and to organisations working in Southern Blue Nile in June 2002, the situation arising from the GoS capture of Geizan town is reported as having "... culminated into a humanitarian disaster, which needs urgent emergency intervention from the international agencies and international NGOs, to cope with the situation and alleviate the suffering of the affected communities".

The appeal further describes the situation as follows:


"The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are estimated to be round 12,000 with a large proportion of women, children and the aged.

"The displaced have lost virtually all their belongings and personal effects. The IDPs are sheltering under trees. They urgently need tents, plastic sheets, and mosquito nets; bearing in mind that the rainy season has already started.

"Their stores of grains were burnt and their animals were looted and crops were destroyed, this resulted into acute food shortages and early signs of starvation.

"The Geizan hospital and outpost clinics were looted, i.e. drugs, refrigerators, laboratory equipment, etc.

"Coupled with this is the plight of the oil IDPs from the Upper Nile Region who were chased by helicopter gun ship from around the oil fields and took refuge in SBN.

"GoS has denied UN agencies and international NGOs access to the area under the OLS/Unicef mandate. The area is therefore, considered a 'NO Go Zone' for agencies operating under the tripartite arrangement."


This appeal prompted a co-ordinated response to the emergency from CEAS, GOAL, Samaritan's Purse, Safe Harbor, ROOF and the SBN local authority representative based in Nairobi and a subsequent rapid assessment by CEAS, GOAL and SRRA in Keli in late June 2002. This assessment revealed that thousands of people had fled from Geizan and Bokori Payams and were scattered around Keli in Himira, Jebel Zolak, Atala, Gilting and Birka Delia villages.

Apart from desperation for food, non-food items and medical care, there is also need for seeds, tools and water in order to guarantee longer-term or future well being of the IDPs. Having arrived at the onset of the fighting, the IDPs, spread along both sides of the border scattered along 40 kilometers of the frontline, putting them in a vulnerable position. They fled here because of proximity to their homes, Ethiopia and security and to get support from their relatives. Thus the IDPs are not living in a camp situation but are interspersed with local civilians.

In addition, to the causalities arising from the recent fighting, the area is regularly affected by problems of food insecurity. A nutrition survey conducted by CEAS in August 2000 noted a few cases of moderate malnutrition in Belatuma IDPs camp in the extreme south of the region. These were treated through a programme of generalised food distribution supported by ACT members. Because of the small number of affected individuals, a decision was taken to curtail relief activities from 2001 onwards. However, from mid-year 2001 until the harvest season in November / December 2001 another low-grade famine affected the northern and eastern payams of the region, killing a number of people and disrupting the lives of scores of others. The latter were assisted by ROOF through a programme of food distribution. In addition, towards the end of 2001, crop failure was reported as a result of flooding, especially along River Yabus where a number of IDPs from Belatuma had cultivated their crops, while a continuing famine situation was reported in the north of the region in Keli and Karan Karan Payams. Those involved in this instance were persons whose livelihood had been affected by a combination of insecurity and drought. It is the reported sudden deterioration in the condition of these people (Belatuma IDPs and war affected persons in the northern payams) that prompted an appeal to the ACT Secretariat for funds with which to carry out an assessment early this year. However, the intervention outlined in that appeal has been overtaken by the current emergency situation and the two will now be merged to meet the full needs of the moment.

Impact on Human Lives

"The offensive was timed with the beginning of the rainy season: a time when people are busy with farming activities on the land. This situation has abruptly disrupted their life sustaining activities"2

The IDPs were able to run with very few personal items and animals and the foodstuffs they brought are depleted. It was reported that in Atala village, where 60 newly constructed huts were counted, people were eating wild foods and depending on the generosity of the local population. In Atala and Birka Delia, the nearest bore holes are hours walk away and water containers are very few. There is therefore a heavy burden on women whose cultural roles are to look for wild foods, water and firewood in addition to their reproductive and other productive roles.

Malaria is the highest cause of morbidity among the IDPs with 75 cases reported during the assessment, followed by diarrhoea. Although under "normal" circumstances these diseases are the primary cause of illness, they are both curable with essential drugs and education.

Access to medical services in the area is generally limited with a total of just five primary health care units serving the entire region3: an area measuring some 200 kilometers north to south and 100 kilometers east to west.

In addition to the on-going war, particularly successive dry season offensives in each of the last four years, climatic and environmental conditions have also disrupted the lives of another 12,000 people based in and around the IDPs camp at Belatuma. The principal problem in both locations is shortage of food. A problem compounded by the lack of nutritional diversity and the prevailing reliance on a narrow range of food crops.

Regrettably, although the IDPs are clearly very vulnerable, to provide any form of relief to them in their current location will pose huge logistical difficulties when the rains begin.

Locations for Proposed Response

The location in which food and seeds and tools will be distributed will be Keli. However, seeds and tools will also be distributed to the settled population and to the displaced people from the oil fields around Yabus. The IDPs in Belatuma will receive assistance with seed and tools under the auspices of the regular CEAS SBN programme. The emergency committee and local leaders will make the selection of families to be assisted, with supervision coming from the combined NGO representatives. Distribution of relief items will be managed by the NGOs with assistance from the civil authorities..

CEAS maintains bases in Yabus village and Kurmuk town (the largest population centre and administrative headquarters of the region). GOAL also maintains facilities in these two locations while ROOF and the regional authorities are both based in Kurmuk.

CEAS' facilities in the two locations include transport vehicles (3 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser cars for the dry season and 2 4x4 tractors for the rainy season), staff accommodation, radio and satellite phone communications.

Current Security Situation

Southern Blue Nile is a remote and extremely isolated region of "New Sudan". Because of the official closure of the Ethiopian border it is accessible only by air via a two and a half hour flight from Lokichoggio in north western Kenya.

Because of its strategic and symbolic importance, being an SPLA held area of northern Sudan, i.e. located beyond the official boundaries of the south, it is the scene of almost constant military activity. This takes the form of regular dry season offensives, infantry skirmishes and artillery duels near the front line and occasional aerial bombardment, as has been the case in the current emergency situation.

However, despite the prominence of militarism in the local culture and the somewhat tense security situation the local authorities maintain a fairly relaxed attitude to NGOs whose activities are both facilitated and encouraged.

IV. GOAL & OBJECTIVES

Goal: To provide immediate humanitarian emergency food aid to alleviate the suffering of the IDPs from Geizan and Bokori Payams who are currently displaced in Keli Payam of Southern Blue Nile, by targeting the most vulnerable.

Objectives:

  • Provide food to 12,000 IDPs for the coming 3 months.

  • Enhance food security and nutrition by distributing simultaneously, seeds and tools to the IDP and local population.

  • To integrate the current emergency intervention with on-going CEAS programmes, notable food security.

  • Co-ordination with ROOF and local authorities that will generate a "knock on" effect in building their capacities to deal with future emergencies.


Footnotes

1 The local government system introduced by the SPLM consists of five administrative tiers or levels. These are (in ascending order) "boma" or village; "payam" or sub-county; "county"; "region" and "national".

2 From the ROOF appeal for humanitarian assistance of June 2002.

3 A sixth facility was located in Geizan town recently re-captured by GoS

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