Access Issues
Air Operations
WFP delivered 776 MTs of food by air from Khartoum and El Obeid to Mayen Abun, Tieraliet, Liil Panliet, Mayom Akol, Panthou, Wunrok, Biem and Wau.
During the reporting period, 99,478 beneficiaries also received WFP food aid in Mangar Angui, Mayom Akol, Wargeng, Ayuang, Ajakuac, Akoc, Pajut, and Kolmerek from the Southern Sector of OLS.
Road Operations
WFP and UNICEF/OLS finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 11 November 1999 for the transportation of UNICEF/OLS commodities on WFP-contracted trucks from Koboko (Uganda) and Lokichokio (Kenya) into southern Sudan. This last variant of the MOU would apply until the end of the year 2000, and follows two earlier versions that were produced in 1999.
Follow-up on Flight Denials
Uncero a. i. held meetings with senior Government officials urging the total lift on flight denials, particularly in Unity/Western Upper Nile and Eastern Equatoria regions. It was pointed out that about 140,000 targeted beneficiaries have not been able to receive urgently needed food assistance, while 300,000 could not receive basic health, water, sanitation and education services because of flight restrictions during October and November. Concern has also been expressed about the inability to launch barge convoys on the Juba corridor because of prevailing insecurity, thus affecting over 300,000 vulnerable beneficiaries living in the Nile river basin. The Government is currently considering easing flight restrictions and is discussing the river corridors.
SECURITY
A follow-up security and programme assessment was conducted in Bentiu between 11 - 13 November by WFP, CARE and UN security staff. The mission found that the situation was still tenuous in Bentiu and that conflict had intensified in the areas of Wang Kai and Mayoum. The mission advised that humanitarian agencies restrict their presence to the towns of Bentiu and Rubkona and retain only a minimum number of staff.
WFP reports that food prices remain high and out of reach of poor households in Bentiu. CARE has re-opened supplementary feeding centers in Bentiu and Rubkona, with an initial 36 children being registered at the Bentiu center. WFP provided 3 MTs of food commodities to the feeding centres to benefit 100 children for about two months. WFP plans to distribute food to the most vulnerable groups, such as IDPs, in Bentiu and conduct an in-depth assessment at the end of the month.
The Government barges proceeding from Malakal to Wang Kai are reported to have been attacked along the route. There are no reports of damage or casualties.
It was reported that on 14 November 1999, an FAO vehicle was high-jacked and its two Sudanese occupants robbed, tied, beaten, and abducted. They were abandoned on the road and the vehicle was taken across the border.
A group of Congolese refugees demonstrated outside the UNHCR compound on 16 November 1999. They were later persuaded to return to their camp after discussions with UNHCR staff.
Lokichoggio Security
An attack was reported along the Lokichoggio - Kakuma road, 30 kilometers away from Lokichoggio. Four armed men ambushed 3 trucks coming to Lokichokio and took money as well as clothing.
The Lokichoggio police will intensify the searching of vehicles coming into and out of Lokichoggio for illegal goods. Recently, an agency vehicle was stopped and found to have a passenger carrying unauthorized arms. Drivers have been asked to be extremely careful while giving lifts to unauthorized passengers.
Radio Communications
Agencies in OLS Southern Sector have been notified that a non refundable application fees of 100 Kenya shillings will be charged to all applications for radio frequencies by the Communication Network of Kenya. No applications will be processed without this fee.
DELIVERIES, DISTRIBUTIONS & INTERVENTIONS
Food Distribution
In Wau, WFP provided 3,515 beneficiaries attending supplementary feeding programmes and 1,634 pupils with food during the reporting period. Food was also provided to 47 new IDPs who were recently displaced by food shortage caused by flooding in Aweil county and 350 beneficiaries in supplementary feeding centres in Juba town.
WFP provided 6 MTs of food for 440 in-patients at the El Obeid hospital. The beneficiaries, mainly expectant and nursing mothers and children, are receiving treatment for severe malaria. An outbreak of the disease has resulted in over 500 deaths in the last three months.
Emergency Response
UNICEF provided essential drugs to a number of clinics and health facilities in Malakal, Juba and Wau. Drugs included guinea worm eradication drugs. 300 bottles of Amoxil were also released to ACF.
UNICEF reports that a team of medical and veterinary officers conducted vaccination and assessment in Nasir in Malakal during the reporting period.
UNICEF and WFP visited Pibor to assess flood damage in the area.
UNICEF, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Health (SMOH) of Malakal and NGOs, launched a CDD and ARI week in Malakal town. The Minister of Health and the acting Wali opened the session.
Livestock Projects
The livestock emergency committee (LER) comprising UNICEF, OXFAM, PARC and GAA met on 10 November 1999 to discuss reports of a disease outbreak killing cattle in BEM southern Malakal.
Health Training
A UNICEF sponsored nutrition workshop benefiting 30 supervisors drawn from SMOH, NGOs and the Juba Teaching hospital took place on 9 November 1999.
Water & Sanitation
UNICEF Juba installed one hand pump and drilled one borehole at Mahalia Muniki and maintained one hand pump at Muniki and two in Juba. Eight latrines were constructed and one was rehabilitated at the Juba Girls School. UNICEF also maintained eight hand pumps, drilled one borehole and constructed two household pit latrines and two communal pit latrines in Wau.
Awareness and Public Education
UN agencies and NGOs participated in a southern Sudan Coordinating Council workshop in Juba on the rehabilitation of Sudanese returnees.
A fisheries extension workshop sponsored by UNICEF was conducted from 9 - 12 November 1999 in Juba. 22 extension staff drawn from the three states of Equatoria participated.
A training of trainers (TOT) workshop for 30 teachers was scheduled to start in Wau on 9 November 1999.
ASSESSMENTS
Planning for the second phase of the FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission was finalised during the week. The assessment is scheduled to take place from 23 November to 12 December. The mission will cover the remaining northern sector locations in White Nile, North Kordofan, South Kordofan, West and South Darfur and River Nile states.
A joint assessment mission by WFP, UNHCU, HAC, SRC, SCC and local authorities found that populations in 12 villages in Joda rural council, White Nile, had been affected by floods that occurred in September. The assessment mission was unable to access these villages in Jebelain province due to flooded roads. The mission observed that many underground grain stores (matmour) were damaged. Some agricultural land had been submerged and crops that survived the flooding were subsequently damaged by birds. The mission observed that about half of the resident population had left the area to seek employment with mechanized agriculture schemes in the surrounding areas. Those left in the villages were accessing food through fishing, milk, employment on nearby cotton farms and income remittance from those employed on the mechanized farms. Food was not a priority need for the flood-affected populations. The mission observed that incidence of malaria and water-borne diseases had increased since the flooding occurred.
IDPs in Rejaf, about 5 km from Juba town, suffered a poor first harvest this year, and are covering the food gaps through several coping mechanisms such as sale of firewood, charcoal and thatch, as well as relief food aid. The 1,071 IDPs, most of whom are women and children, were displaced by insecurity from eastern Equatoria in 1998.
Health Matters
The Saba Children Hospital communicable disease report indicated 174 malaria cases with three deaths, eight acute Gastro-enteritis cases, one tuberculosis case, one measles case and three CSM cases.
In Adila, UNICEF reported 22 cases of measles in the OXFAM feeding centres and 25 cases in the town. UNICEF provided Amoxyl and paracetamol syrup and OXFAM conducted an Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) session as part of their package of nutritional programme.
OTHER OLS ISSUES
Meetings
A meeting of the Unity State Emergency Response Team (ERT) took place on 18 November 1999 at WFP. Issues discussed included security situation, emergency supplies, assessment missions, communications equipment and Y2K.
The NGO/UNHCU weekly security meeting took place on 15 November 1999 at the UNHCU.
The weekly meeting of the Humanitarian Aid Forum (HAF) Steering committee took place on 16 November 1999 at the UNHCU. Matters dealt with included IDP related issues, CAP/ANA, Access, Joint Donors Meeting, SCOVA workshop, Floods, Unity State and Kassala.