Attachments
KEY FIGURES
108,214 Number of South Sudanese refugees who have arrived in Sudan in 2017 (as of 30 April)
2017 new refugee arrivals by state
East Darfur 36,755 (34%)
White Nile 36,641 (34%)
South Kordofan 18,724 (17%)
West Kordofan 10,330 (10%)
South Darfur 5,764 (5%)
North Darfur 200 (<1%)
375,719 Number of South Sudanese refugees who arrived in Sudan since December 2013.
FUNDING
US$ 166.65 million Inter-agency funding requirements for activities under the RRRP 2017
Less than 10% funded
OPERATIONAL CONTEXT
Over 23,000 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Sudan in April. This brings total new arrivals in 2017 to over 108,000. UNHCR and the Commission of Refugees (COR) completed household level registration in Al Lait, North Darfur, and verified 8,729 individuals, which is lower than the initial estimate of 19,500. A WFP verification exercise of new arrivals in Kharasana, West Kordofan was also completed, which has led to a revised figure of 14,600 for the area. This has led to the total refugee figure being revised to over 375,000 refugees having fled to Sudan since December 2013.
Following reports of intense fighting in Upper Nile state, South Sudan, UNHCR and COR led a mission to Abu Jubaiha, South Kordofan to receive new arrivals and conduct a rapid needs assessment. An interagency response plan is being developed with partners in South Kordofan and a rapid inter-agency assessment mission to border entry points and settlements in Abu Jubaiha locality is planned for 1 May. UNHCR and COR have identified the need for a new reception centre in Gedeid or Sirajiya, two key areas where refugees are crossing the border into Sudan and arriving in increasing numbers, and where scale-up of reception services is needed.
Fighting in South Sudan has also driven increasing numbers of refugees into White Nile.
From 29-30 April, over 2,300 refugees fled across the border to the El Megenis and Joda entry points. The average daily arrival rate for this two-day period (1,100 to 1,200 per day) is the highest ever recorded and is expected to continue into May. UNHCR is working to increase registration staff at border entry points to bolster capacity.
WFP distributed a two-month food ration to all registered households in Al Lait, North Darfur, and UNICEF coordinated the distribution of BP-5 biscuits to all children under 5 years, including host community families. UNHCR is now preparing to distribute NFI packages to the refugees. A new mobile health clinic is being operated by Cooperation for Development Organization (CDO) as a first step towards closing health service gaps. Response partners are initiating an appeal for funding to address refugee and host community needs in this critically under-serviced area.
In West Kordofan, UNHCR and COR established the state Refugee Working Group (RWG) with response partners in El Fula on 26 April. The RWG will form the main coordination mechanism in the state and is expected to improve response coordination and information sharing across the state.
In East Darfur, the voluntary relocation of refugees to the new site at Al Nimir concluded on 24 April, with a total of 3,510 individuals (915 households) relocated from the Old Raja settlement. Biometric registration has been completed for 84% of the refugees so far.
Recent new arrivals to the site have reported that there are thousands of refugees in transit to East Darfur who have recently fled fighting and critical food insecurity in Raja, South Sudan. UNHCR is coordinating the backfilling and demarcation of additional land plots and has prepositioned NFIs, and in process of prepositioning food with WFP, as preparedness measures for new influxes.
In South Darfur, UNHCR and COR conducted a joint mission to the Beliel IDP camp on 30 April to identify the needs of refugees living there. Key priorities include: establishment of a reception centre and biometric registration, shelter and NFI distribution, site planning to address congestion, expansion of the health centre and classroom construction. Partners are currently preparing a response plan under the state RWG, which will be rolled out over the next two months.