Attachments
Measles and polio vaccination campaigns launch across Sudan.
Steady rate of new arrivals continued in 2019 so far.
El Leri food distribution interrupted following clashes between local demonstrators and NISS.
Population Update STEADY FLOWS OF NEW SOUTH SUDANESE REFUGEE ARRIVALS CONTINUED THROUGH APRIL – Over 1,000 refugees newly arrived in April, with nearly 10,000 refugees arrived in Sudan in 2019 so far. The steady flows are a general indication that South Sudanese people still feel the need to leave their country, either due to security concerns or unmet humanitarian assistance needs. The majority of refugees are still arriving to East Darfur, followed by West Kordofan, South Darfur, South Kordofan and White Nile. Steady flows are anticipated to continue through May and early June, before roads and river ways become blocked due to the rainy season. Reports indicate that the humanitarian situation in South Sudan has not seen any marked improvement and remains dire.
Operational Update
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MEASLES AND POLIO CAMPAIGNS – Countrywide measles and polio vaccination campaign was launched in April in 16 out of 18 States, and will conclude in early May. Khartoum and Gezaira states will be covered in June 2019. The vaccination campaign is part of the response to the measles outbreak that affected all Sudan states since November 2018, with over 5,959 cases reported across resident, host and refugee communities. The campaign led by the Federal and State Ministries of Health, World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, targets 3.4 million children between 9 month and 10 years of age for measles and below 5 years for Polio. The vaccination campaign is being paired with health promotion initiatives to raise awareness of the benefits of the measles vaccine and support symptom recognition and reporting by communities at risk.
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HOST COMMUNITIES BLOCK URGENT WASH ACTIVITIES IN WHITE NILE STATE REFUGEE CAMPS OVER REQUESTS FOR MORE ASSISTANCE – Humanitarian movements to camps in White Nile State are currently on hold due to security concerns following host community protests over assistance delivery to the camps. Latrine construction in Jouri and Um Sangour and rehabilitation of a latrine desludging site at Al Kashafa has been blocked by host communities requesting compensation in order for the work to proceed.
UNHCR and COR, along with other partners, are working with local authorities to resolve these issues. Latrine construction and desludging gaps remain urgent issues in White Nile refugee camps driving open defecation and water- and foodborne illness risks: In Um Sangour, latrine coverage is an estimated 283 persons per latrine, with 96 persons in Al Kashafa and 93 persons in Jouri, well below the UNHCR standard of 50 persons per latrine. -
CLASHES IN EL LERI AREA, SOUTH KORDOFAN INTERRUPT APRIL’S REFUGEE FOOD DISTRIBUTION – The World Food Programme (WFP) temporarily suspended a food distribution planned for 19 April for over 15,000 refugees in El Leri West following clashes between local demonstrators and National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) at a local gold mine that resulted in 12 people killed and 9 injured. Refugees were not reported to be involved in the demonstration or clashes. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) intervened to calm the situation. UNHCR, COR and operational partners are monitoring the situation closely, given that over 33,000 refugees and their host communities are targeted for assistance in Abu Jubaiha and Talodi localities where other government-affiliated gold mines are present.
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OVER 120 VULNERABLE REFUGEE AND HOST COMMUNITY CHILDREN IDENTIFIED AND REFERRED FOR SUPPORT IN SOUTH KORDOFAN STATE – Global Aid Hand (GAH) conducted vulnerability assessments for refugee and host community children in Sirajiya and El Leri West settlements. The exercise supports the identification of children with specific needs and supports their referral for additional assistance, and forms a part of GAH’s broader work in South Kordofan to strengthen child protection networks for refugees in the State. This includes community sensitization and awareness raising initiatives among refugee and host communities on child protection issues, sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) and community support on identification of unaccompanied and separate children (UASC).
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ONGOING CASH SHORTAGES ARE DRIVING IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES FOR CASH-BASED INTERVENTIONS (CBIs) IN SOUTH KORDOFAN STATE – According to Save the Children International (SCI), there is insufficient cash available to continue its new cash assistance project for refugees and host community members in the El Leri West settlements area, after two months of implementation. The programme is supposed to provide 6 months of assistance to cover the needs of 1,500 households. The problem of limited cash availability in Sudan that has been worsening and is hindering the ability of banks meet their obligation to disburse cash to beneficiaries of cash assistance programming. As a result, Save the Children will be switching from cash transfer modality to vouchers.
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NEW HEALTH AND NUTRITION PROJECTS LAUNCHED IN NORTH DARFUR STATE – The Community Development Organization (CDO) launched a new UNICEF-funded health and nutrition project, planned to reach refugees and their host communities in six key settlement areas in Al Lait locality. The project will expand access to primary health services, health promotion, nutrition outreach activities and outpatient treatment programmes for malnutrition in Hamary Andrab, Habib Darma, Shag Allyoon, Dalil Dukhri, Um Ghoghayaand Jodat settlements. Additionally, the World Food Programme (WFP) is planning a Supplementary Feeding Programme to reduce malnutrition risk for children under five years in five refugee settlement areas in Al Lait Town, Haskanita, Fataha, Dalil Babiker and Abu Jara. The project will target both host-community and refugee children in each settlement area. Access to health facilities and nutrition programmes are among key concerns raised by refugees in Al Lait locality during the 2018 Participatory Assessment.
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ENROLLMENT CAMPAIGNS LAUNCHED FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN IN EAST DARFUR – The exercise has seen enrolment nearly double in a two-week period, from 617 refugee students to 1,210 students across both Al Nimir and Kario camps. The campaigns are led by State Ministry of Education, the Commission for Refugees (COR), UNHCR and GAH, and include coordinated refugee community sensitization initiatives on the importance of school enrolment and attendance, especially for girls. In El Ferdous settlements, campaign implementation is being led by the SMoE and United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), with over 800 refugee students enrolled so far. The 2019/2020 school year is scheduled to begin in June.
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HOUSEHOLD VERIFICATION EXERCISE LAUNCHED FOR KARIO AND AL NIMIR CAMP TO INFORM SHELTER AND NFI REHABILITATION AND REPLENISHMENT PLANNING – So far, over 755 households have been identified for rehabilitation and replenishment support in Al Nimir camp. The verification exercise will support updated family and address information in the UNHCR-COR registration database, and includes shelter, NFI and latrine conditions assessments. The assessment will inform targeted replenishment assistance for households in need of shelter rehabilitation, plastic sheeting replenishment and other NFIs ahead of the start of the rainy season. Latrine conditions will also inform households targeted for relocation to new site extensions once developed. The exercises are being led by UNHCR, COR and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), and is scheduled for completion by early May.
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WASH ACTIVITIES IN EL RADOM, SOUTH DARFUR SUPPORT HYGIENE OUTCOMES FOR REFUGEES AND HOST COMMUNITIES – World Vision International (WVI) distributed jerry cans and 1-month soap supply to over 14,000 South Sudanese and Central African Republic (CAR) refugees living in El Radom settlement, along with members of the host community. The distribution is part of hygiene promotion and health promotion initiatives underway for waterborne illness prevention. The Government’s Water, Environment and Sanitation (WES) Department also drilled two boreholes at the settlement, with two hand pumps planned, to enhance refugee and host community access to sufficient water supply to support household hygiene.