Humanitarian action, recovery, and development in Southern Sudan weekly bulletin, week 48, Nov/Dec 2007

Summary/Highlights

Eight reported killed and up to 7,000 heads of cattle stolen on 27 November near Padak in Jonglei. Bor town and Padak are UN security phase 3 effective 29 November (UNDSS and RCO).

The first 80 returnees from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya arrived in Rumbek on 28 November. However, UNHCR has now suspended repatriation of Kakuma refugees due to increased Murle attacks in Jonglei state (RCO).

Pibor OCHA EP&R in Jonglei is supporting transport and distribution of outstanding flood response items and has been requested to facilitate air freight of 800 kg of fishing equipment to serve 250-300 households in Vertet Payam (OCHA).

Focus on stability and security

On 27 November, a cattle raid near Padak (Jonglei) took place during which eight Dinka Bor were reported killed and up to 7,000 heads of cattle stolen. On 28 November, Dinka Bor launched pursuit operations to recover the stolen cattle. During the pursuit at night 28-29 November, the party was ambushed by the raiders. In the exchange of fire 27 people were killed and 48 wounded. Six of the killed were Murle and 21 Dinka Bor. On 29 November, relatives and friends of the deceased and wounded launched revenge attack against Murle in Bor. They stormed the MSF-run hospital in Bor and killed four patients (ethnic Murle). In addition, three Murle were killed in other parts of Bor Town. The patients killed in the hospital had been brought to Bor earlier from Pibor to receive treatment. As a precautionary measure, 27 MSF staff members and one UNMIS national staff were relocated from Pibor to Juba and from Bor to Juba, respectively. Bor town and Padak are UN security phase 3 effective 29 November. JIU and SPLA troops are now deployed at key locations in Bor town and the government has imposed a 20:00 to 07:00 curfew (UNDSS). A meeting was convened 29 November with UN agencies and INGOs in Bor and emergency procedures were reviewed including the Bor security plan (RCO).

Current issues

WFP reported on 26 November that the first bridge outside Yei (Central Equatoria) along the Yei-Farasika road had completely collapsed (UNJLC).

Population movements and returns

Repatriation

UNHCR has assisted 895 Southern Sudanese to return home during the reporting week. 849 of these returnees were assisted by UNHCR under the organized voluntary repatriation programme. 609 came from Uganda to Eastern Equatoria and 240 came from Kenya to Lakes State (UNHCR).

The first 80 returnees from the Kakuma refugee Camp in Kenya arrived in Rumbek on 28 November in two rotations. The returnees were housed in the temporary transit centre behind the SSRRC Compound in Rumbek (RCO).

UNHCR has also assisted 46 Southern Sudanese return home through the assisted voluntary self-repatriation programme. Six of these came from Uganda to Eastern Equatoria and 40 came from Egypt to blue Nile, Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Khartoum, Lakes, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, South Kordofan, Upper Nile, Western Bahr El Ghazal and Western Equatoria States (UNHCR).

UNHCR received 609 Sudanese refugees from Uganda at the temporary way station in Nimule (UNHCR).

UNHCR verified all returnees that passed through the way station and referred those in need of medical attention to the Merlin medical officer. UNHCR identified and provided returnees in need of sanitary kits, sanitary cloths and baby clothes (UNHCR).

Reintegration

UNHCR attended a graduation ceremony for 50 students from the NPA Community Vocational Training School in Yei (Central Equatoria). Students graduated from disciplines including carpentry, tailoring and masonry and each graduate received a startup kit. Two disabled females were among the graduates. UNHCR referred their cases on to a program run by CS (UNHCR).

Needs and response by sector

Coordination and Common Services

Raja (Western Bahr El Ghazal) EP&R has been requested to assist in addressing reported gaps in humanitarian response in support of Darfurian IDPs in Boro Medina in Raja County. EP&R has begun to work with NGO partners and UN agencies to gather information to resolve difficulties between SSRRC and NGOs and to install warehousing capacity at Boro Medina. EP&R field officer will take part in consultations and a field assessment with UNICEF, WFP and Oxfam Intermon to Boro Medina next week (OCHA).

Gogrial East (Warrap) OCHA EP&R has been requested to provide transport assistance and to participate in an assessment to an estimated 4,500 individuals displaced by floods and violent cattle raids in Gogrial East next week (OCHA).

The Disaster Management officer and the contingency planning officer are facilitating a disaster management workshop in Torit (Eastern Equatoria) from 29 November to 4 December (OCHA)

NFI

Two OCHA EP&R team members went to Pochalla (Jonglei) to deliver fishing equipment from FAO to the flood affected population and also to follow up on the responses given so far.

Pibor (Jonglei) EP&R is supporting transport and distribution of outstanding flood response items and has been requested to facilitate air freight of 800kg of fishing equipment to serve 250-300 households in Vertet Payam. Other payams are already being supported through OCHA ERF supported NFI and fishing kit distribution though NGO NPA (OCHA).

Food

RCO has received reports from Malou-Pec Payam in Cueibet County (Lakes) and in Mekambele in Wulu County that there is still need for food assistance to communities affected by floods. The County Commissioner claims that the areas were never served during the response. SSRRC has made a direct request to WFP to respond (RCO).

Health

The support to the maternity ward of the Rumbek Lakes State Hospital by the Italian Cooperation was announced on 28 November at the Lakes State Health Coordination Meeting. The meeting took notice of the fact that medicines destined for Health Centres and cold chain supply of vaccines and other UNICEF materials have reportedly been openly sold at the markets (RCO).

Meningitis

Two cases of Meningitis with one death were reported in Yambio (Western Equatoria) by MSF-E. Both patients came from the SPLA military barracks. They had been transferred from the barracks in Tore (between Maridi and Yei) three weeks earlier. One of the patients was treated in the Hospital in Yambio and a CSF sample was taken which tested positive for Neisseria meningitis, subgroup A and W135. The other patient never came to the hospital but died in the camp showing the same symptoms. MSF-E went to investigate but no other patient was found. MoH will contact the SPLA Medical Corps to discuss the issue with them. The cumulative numbers of cases is now 12,008 cases with 674 deaths (Case fatality rate, CFR, at 5.6%).

Acute Watery Diarrhoea

59 cases with 0 deaths were reported giving a cumulative total of 11,772 cases with 417 deaths (CFR 3.54 %).

Acute Bloody Diarrhoea

47 cases of AWD were reported for week 47. The cumulative total is 2,449 cases with one death (CFR 0.04%)

Measles

Five cases with one death was reported, giving a total of 884 cases with 42 deaths. CMA in Keew reported 17 cases with one death between 15-23 November.

Governance

On 28 November, GoSS and UNDP launched a project focused on institutional support and human resource capacity building of the Judiciary of Southern Sudan (JoSS). The project has received initial funding from DFID (UK), DFAIT (Canada), UNDP, and JoSS contributions. Under the project arrangements, JoSS will work collaboratively with UNDP in addressing infrastructure deficits and human resource capacity challenges in the judiciary at all levels including the Supreme Court Headquarters, the three regional Courts of Appeal, the Ten High Courts in each state, 79 county courts and other courts or tribunals including possible support to customary law adjudicatory mechanisms and special courts (UNDP).

Education

Rehabilitation of Bor Primary school (Jonglei) by Intersos is near completion (RCO).

JL- Wk 48

Disclaimer: The information in this report is consolidated from OCHA field reports, UN agencies, RCO at state level, NGOs, and other humanitarian partners. The report is subject to availability of data and does not claim to be exhaustive or fully verified. If you have inputs for the next edition, or questions/comments to the current issue, please contact: Jens Laerke, Public Information/Reports Officer a.i. Email: laerke@un.org