Access Issues
Air Operations
WFP delivered 743 MTs of food by air from Khartoum and El Obeid. Of the total amount, 462 MTs, representing 62% of all deliveries, were delivered to southern sector locations. Deliveries to northern sector locations totaled 281 MTs, or 38% of the total amount. The week's deliveries were 23% lower than the previous week because of bad weather that hampered the positioning of distribution teams in the field.
During the reporting period, 192,486 beneficiaries received WFP food aid in Malualbai, Gok Machar, Nyamlell, Acumcum, Mapel, Malualwut, Akoc, Maper and Waat from the Southern Sector of OLS.
SECURITY
Reports indicate that about half the number of people that fled Bentiu since fighting erupted last July have returned. However, about 10,000 people are living along the route between Bentiu and Rubkona. Following a security assessment in Bentiu on 3 November 1999, CARE resumed some of the most urgent humanitarian activities in Bentiu, including supplementary feeding.
The UN Field Security Officer (FSO) and the Field Security Assistant (FSA) paid a visit to Bentiu, Unity State from 11-13 November 1999. Bentiu is reported to be quiet. There are however, reports of bombardment of Wang Kai (approx. 60 km south west of Bentiu) and of three barges with personnel, equipment and supplies having passed through Bentiu from Malakal around 10 Nov on the way upriver to re-enforce the Wang Kai area. It is presumed that a failure to reinforce Wang Kai could rapidly bring the fighting closer to Bentiu.
OLS NGOs and UN agencies in the southern sector continued to experience access problems in the Western Upper Nile region of southern Sudan.
The WFP loaded barges that were stalled at Malakal due to the security situation in Upper Nile area have been returned to Kosti.
On 8 November 1999, it was reported that a vehicle belonging to the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) was ambushed at about noon, 2 Km. outside New Cush on the road to Natinga in Eastern Equatoria. One NPA Sudanese staff member and one SPRRA staff member were allegedly killed. Three other persons were said to be injured and are in Lopiding Hospital. At least one other staff member suffered lacerations and bruising while escaping the incident. OLS Security has now declared the road closed to OLS operations until further notice.
DELIVERIES, DISTRIBUTIONS & INTERVENTIONS
Food Distribution
During the reporting period, 11 MTs of food were provided for selective and school feeding programmes. Food for 1,033 primary school pupils was supplied to implementing NGOs. Meanwhile, WFP reports that the Government has announced the arrival of 47 newly displaced persons into Wau. The new IDPs were from Aweil and Gogrial. The IDPs from Aweil fled local food shortages caused by severe flooding since August this year.
Preliminary findings of a nutritional survey conducted in Wau by UNICEF indicate that global malnutrition levels among both IDP and host populations are below 10%. The report, however, states that the improvement is based on continued food aid, as the IDPs' coping mechanisms are severely restricted by insecurity. A detailed report from the survey will be carried in the next weekly report.
3 MTs of mixed commodities were distributed to 150 patients in the Malakal teaching hospital. In addition, food was provided to newly arrived IDPs, who were recently displaced by insecurity from Baliet, also in Upper Nile State.
In Juba town, 5,094 vulnerable beneficiaries received 42 MTs of WFP food during the week. In Kapoeta, WFP provided 161 MTs of food to 29,000 war affected beneficiaries.
Emergency Response
UNICEF Malakal office issued 500 Kg of essential drugs to Northern Upper Nile (Renk), and 350 Kg to Khor Fulus and Yomding health centres in the Sobat corridor during the week.
UNICEF sub office supplied Pibor province with essential drugs, vaccines, 300 baby blankets, 200 adult blankets, 20 baby basins, vitamin A and ferros sulphate to be distributed to children below 5 years and lactating women.
Livestock Projects
UNICEF started component update vaccination against rinderpest (RP) and Haemmorhagic Septicaemia (HS) on 8 November 1999 in Wau. 531 heads of cattle were inoculated. Vaccination is ongoing.
UNICEF delivered 1000 doses of rinderpest vaccines, 1000 doses of contagious bovine pleuro-pneumonia (CBPP), 30 vials of oxtra, 48 LA, 1 tin of Novidiem and fridge spare parts for the livestock programme in Malakal. UNICEF in collaboration with PARC and the Veterinary Department are conducting a livestock vaccination campaign in Malakal town to cover 30,000 heads of cattle against RP, HS and CBPP.
Health Training
UNICEF reports that a Training of Trainees workshop is being planned for 35 teachers mainly from Aweil, Raja, Wau, Lakes and Warrap States.
Nutrition & Household Food Security
UNICEF released 11 MTs of UNIMIX to ACF and SMOH BJS for the benefit of 2611 children under 5 years of age in supplementary feeding centres in Juba.
UNICEF reports that in Wau there are six supplementary feeding centres catering for 679 children under 5 years and two therapeutic feeding centres (TFC) catering for 75 other beneficiaries.
Water & Sanitation
UNICEF Juba office drilled one new borehole in Moniki council, converted four bucket latrines into pit latrines at Juba Secondary school and maintained six hand pumps in Kitor Mahalia.
UNICEF rehabilitated six hand pumps in Wau.
Unaccompanied Children
Nine unaccompanied children were reunified with relatives. Eight of them travelled with their relatives to villages in Warrap states.
ASSESSMENTS
The State government plans to conduct a survey in the two displaced camps in Kosti, White Nile with a view to resettling some of the 41,000 IDPs on alternative land. At a meeting organised by HAC and attended by UN Agencies and NGOs, a committee composed of IDP representatives GOS, UNHCU, the Ministry of Social Welfare and NGOs operating in the IDP camps will liaise with local authorities regarding the proposed resettlement. In addition, a four-man committee was formed to liaise with the state Government regarding 10,000 feddan of agricultural land to be allocated to IDPs in the two camps. Meanwhile, WFP is finalising modalities to provide food assistance to about 200 children and expectant mothers hospitalised in Kosti with malaria. A recent outbreak of malaria is accounting for 90% of current hospital admissions in Kosti.
A joint WFP/ ICRC/NGO assessment of flood damage was carried out during the week in villages surrounding Juba. The team visited Lure East and West, Kworojik, Kuda, Mongala and villages along the Nile corridor. The floods were caused by constant and heavy rainfall during October. The assessment team recommended immediate non-food intervention in the form of shelter material and medicine. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Sudanese Red Crescent (SRC) plan to distribute none food items to affected households within Juba town.
The result of a general screening of vulnerable persons in Juba town revealed 5,417 children were in need of continued food assistance. The screening exercise revealed that the total number of targeted children had declined by 84% since 1997 because of improved nutritional status in Juba town, as indicated by surveys carried out by Action Contre la Faim (ACF) and UNICEF. As a consequence of the improved situation, the number of feeding centres receiving WFP assistance declined from 23 to 10. WFP intends to screen vulnerable groups regularly with a view to target assistance when access to adequate alternative food sources improves.
Nuba Mountains
On 10 November 1999, the United Nations officially transmitted the report on the findings and recommendations of its humanitarian mission from 15 September - 15 October in Government and SPLM areas in the Nuba Mountains to the Government of Sudan and the leadership of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLM). A press release by the UN Humanitarian Coordination Unit in Khartoum was issued on the same day.
Following this mission, for the first time ever, the UN humanitarian programme will include multsectoral assistance for the population in the Nuba Mountains. This programme, estimated at US$ 10 million, will be included for the first time, in the Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal for the Sudan for the year 2000 to address the most essential humanitarian needs as well as the medium-term recovery and rehabilitation needs in Government and SPLM areas.
The mission report indicated that there was a need for continued food assistance to internally displaced families, especially those in the urban areas and that there would be a fairly large food deficit next year between May and September. The report stated that there was a chronic lack of agricultural inputs such as seeds and tools and fertilizers and that livestock herds had been severely depleted with limited access to fertile land because of the conflict.
In the health sector, the mission found very limited inadequately equipped and supplied facilities with limited immunization coverage in the SPLM areas while a satisfactory network of health centres which, although it lacked basic supplies, was in place in the GOS areas. The team noted in its report the limited availability of clean water particularly in SPLM areas.
In addition, the mission reported the need to provide basic education to the children and to urgently train teachers, noting that as a result of the conflict, a whole generation of children had been deprived of schooling.
Health Matters
Juba weekly infectious disease report recorded 293 cases of malaria with one death, one case of cerebral spinal meningitis and 1 case of tuberculosis.
UNICEF reports 1,977 cases of bloody diarrhoea in Wau in October 1999 as compared with 1,234 cases in September 1999.
OTHER OLS ISSUES
Visitors
A delegation from the Government of the Netherlands visited IDP camps in South Darfur during the week. The delegation met IDPs recently resettled from the camps to agricultural land in Sanam el Naaga. The IDPs voiced their satisfaction with the relocation exercise, which includes family food rations, seeds and tools. WFP plans to provide food assistance to the resettled IDPs until their first harvest in October 2000. While in Ed Daein, the Dutch mission was briefed on other WFP activities including women-oriented projects, selective feeding and food for work incentives for host communities. The Dutch delegation also visited El Obeid, where they were briefed on WFP air operations. In addition, discussions were held on the plight of IDPs in En Nahud and Sidra, in West Kordofan.
Olivia Yambi, the UNICEF Regional Nutrition Adviser visited Lokichokio on 1 November 1999. She was accompanied by Stephanie Maxwell of UNICEF.
Mr. John Hayward from ECHO visited Lokichokio on 2 November 1999. He also traveled to Padak and Nyal in southern Sudan during the week.
Robert Davis, the Regional EPI Adviser visited Lokichokio on 2 November. He met with all the OLS agencies implementing EPI programmes in southern Sudan.
Meetings
The NGO/UNHCU weekly security meeting took place on 8 November 1999 at the UNHCU.
The weekly meeting of the Humanitarian Aid Forum (HAF) Steering Committee took place on 9 November 1999 at the UNHCU. Matters dealt with included Unity State, Juba and Pibor floods, travel permits, Nuba Mountains Assessment Mission Report and IDP issues.