Return Area: RA-1: Chali Boma/Yabus Pyam/Kurmuk County: A Ghost Valley

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1 Return Area: CHALI BOMA/Cluster: Assessment Report for Chali-Boma/Cluster Return Area Conducted by Peter Rasmussen / UNHCR-Damazin from 15/01 02/ Updated: 25/02-06 Return Area: RA-1: Chali Boma/Yabus Pyam/Kurmuk County: A Ghost Valley Expected Caseload returning Return Area-1: Chali Boma: 13,263 Expected Returning Refugees from Bonga Camp Ethiopia. RA-1: Chali-Boma: 2,589 Residents / 17(18) 1 villages / 1 water point / 1 Clinic / 0 Schools. Yabus Pyam: 91,429 Residents / 11 water points / 5 clinics / 1 school. Kurmuk County: 180,000 residents / 47 water points / 22 clinics, 1 hospital, 4 schools State: Blue Nile State / SUDAN. Summary: Return Area Chali Boma - A Ghost Valley! - The Chali-Boma village cluster is a ghost valley. Only three village have any inhabitants at all: Chali-Elfiel (300 persons), Nyile (1,352 persons) and Kumathe (732 persons). These are the only locations where populations, houses and farming fields can be found. The only working hand pump and Basic Health Care Unit is located in Nyile village. There no schools in the Boma and only 4 functional schools in the entire County. 13(14) out of 17(18) villages are totally abandoned by the residents. Apart from two places where a few IDPs from Maban tribe of Upper Nile State are squatting, there is an almost total absence of human presence. There are no remaining sign of huts, churches, fireplaces, crops or fields just bush. In general the security in the return area is good. By now the de-mining teams have surveyed the area and cleared a high numbers of UXO in Chali-Elfiel. However, on a positive note, there is very little evidence of use of anti-personnel or anti-tank mines in the area. 1 One village, Gurmin, is reported to exist but has not bee located by UNHCR field staff.

2 Objectives for the Assessment: In order to get a clear picture of the Chalie return area, which is the first priority area for repatriation for the Uduk people in Bonga Camp, UNHCR Damazine prepared for assessment of all cluster villages in the Chali Boma. Names and locations were identified and according to UNMAO s de-mining program. The return area could only be assessed when the RONCO/de-mining organisation had conducted a mandatory survey of the area. UNHCR staff visited 17(18) villages/location (Gurmin village is not yet confirmed as a village/location). Assessment on foot. Village Interview. Assessment- mission; In order to reach the villages it was necessary to camp with RONCO in Nyile/Chali Boma. The village-assessment was carried out on foot, in 4 joint field trips with the RONCO mine survey team, supported by local guides and interpreters. The villages/locations were identified, located by GPS, and residents (if any) were interviewed. The interviews focused on numbers of individuals/families in each location, ethnicity, livelihood issues and mine-threats. Names and locations: Participatory mapping was conducted in Chali-Elfiel Village, where the residents forwarded a list of names for the village/locations and distance and bearing from Chali-Elfiel, which used to be the Boma Center. The names and spelling was confirmed by authorities (SRRC-Kurmuk, Damazin). However the names did not quite mirror to the list submitted from Bonga, made up by the returnees. Being part of the transitional area, where the administration has been changing the local names between traditional Uduk names, Arabic and English pronunciations. At the end UNHCR Damazin and UNHCR Bonga staff were able to refer to a common list of village/locations. (See table and map)

3 Participatory Mapping. Location of Cluster Villages in Chali Boma. Population: Residents and Expected returnees: The table below indicates each village in Chali boma, it s location, current residents and expected numbers of returnees. All numbers are to be treated as estimates. From the village assessement we found that, apart form Chali-Elfiel, Nyile and Kumathi, there were hardly any signs of human occupation. Apart from a few Maban IDPs from Upper Nile State squatting in a few locations, there was no sign of permanent settlement. Residents: Spontaneous Returnees from Ethiopia: IDPs primarily Maban IDPs form Upper Nile: Total estimated no residents in Chali Boma: 2384.indv./569 fam. 180 indv. / 40 fam. Approx indv. / 609 fam. RA-Chali Boma: Updated 24/02-06 See the map: Chali Cluster Villages. Sub Village Name Location (Walking Distance N,S,E,W) Current Residents Expected Return (Persons/Families) 1 Chali El Fiel Central Village 300 ind./58 fam. 2,507 ind./1194 fam. 2 Sodha 2 hours W 0 1,082 ind./278 fam. 3 Beeh 1 hour WSW 0 (not confirmed) 4 Chaba 1 ½ hours W ind./182 fam. 5 Bithko 1 ½ hours W ind./138 fam. 6 Keran 1 ½ hours W ind./71 fam. 7 Orabut 1 ½ - 2 hours WSW ind./138 fam. 8 Penawayu 1 1 ½ hours NW 0 2,073 ind./564 fam. 9 Langunguro ½ to 1 hour NWN Yllajada ½ to 1 hour N 0 (not confirmed) 11 Puda Om ½ to 1 hour NE 5 ind./1 fam. 919 ind./246 fam. 12 Nyile 1 hour ESE 1,357 ind./352 fam. None 13 Gindi 2 hours NE 0 2,159 ind./546 fam. 14 Borpa 3 hours NE 0 1,364 ind./333 fam. 15 Kolangura 2 hours ENE 25 ind./5 fam. 1,039 ind./256 fam. 16 Kumathe 2 hours ENE 732 ind./ 159 fam. None 17 Kwasiyo 1 ½ hours E 0 None 18 Gurmin (not found) (not found. Reportedly None there are 50 families there) Total 2,589 ind./609 fam. 13,263 ind./3,994 fam.

4 Accessibility: Chali-boma can be accessed by 4WD vehicle from the Kurmuk Yabus Highway. Nyile and Chali-elfiel can be accessed by vehicles. The remaining places can only reached by foot, or tractor-trailor if brushing of pathway has been conducted. Sandy River Crossings. Steep River Crossing Security, land-mines and UXOs: RONCO has been conducting mine surveys and clearance in the Chali UNHCR Reception Centre site, the WFP distribution point, former military installations etc. since Jan (see Profile of Chali Elfiel). All cluster village/locations have been surveyed without identifying major threats. But due to the absence of people to interview about the military history of the area, the survey has been slow and is still ongoing. SPLA is present in Nyile and have been assisting RONCO in conducting the survey and guarding the RONCO camp. There is no evidence of local conflict, but some minor evidence of hostility was observed from Maban IDPs when the team was met by a armed Welcome Committee when assessing Orabut village (close to the Upper-Nile border). Remains from the Battlefield UXOs Maban Welcome commitee

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6 Potable water : Access to water is the major problem for residents in Kurmuk country. Only 21% of the population has access to water facilities. In Yabus Paya, the coverage for water infrastructure is about 9% and there are a total of 11 water points for 91,429 residents. Only 1 working hand pump was found in the entire Chali area, in Nyile village. The only other water infrastructure in the entire boma were were two non-functioning hand pumps and one contaminated (dry) well which were in Chali and Nyile. The only other way to obtain water is by digging for water in the wadis. By the 20 February the well ran dry. The water situation in Chali El Fiel has now become desperate. The one and only handpump in Chali Boma Contaminated Well in Chali-Elfiel. Dry by Feb.20 th Food-production; Land-Issue, & Resettlement. We found extensive crop production (mainly sorghum) in all settled locations. There were also some small garden plots with mixed crop productions and vegetables. In vast areas around the non-populated villages, the grass was burned as a traditional means to facilitate hunting. In consultation with the local populations, access to land for food production was not considered to be problem for the returnees. They also did not consider the few Maban IDPs to pose a problem for the Uduk returnees. However the returnees going to Kolnungura should be aware that there is a new settlement (732 ind/159 fam.) in Kumathe which is located in the area of Kolnugura village. The persons in that settlement are also Uduk. For grain-processing purpose GOAL has constructed a Grain-mill in Nyile. There are no remaining housing facilities in Chali-Boma. Returnees and new-comers have to establish themselves in new shelters by building tukuls. Ext. Sorghum Fields Vegetable production GOAL Grainmill

7 Local Authorities: Chali-Elfiel use to be the center of the Boma, but due to the fact that Nyile was re-settled some years earlier, the main centre was moved and the area was called Anyile-Boma. However things are to be put back in the previous order according to the restructuring of the politicaladministrative system in the area. The area is to be called Chali Boma. Apart from the traditional Omda (Boma Chief), chiefs for populated villages (Chali, Nyile, and Kumathe), a small SPLA/M representation in Nyile, there are no public authorities in Chali Boma. There are no police and no representatives of any ministries. Meeting with the OMDA in Nyile GOAL-Clinic Public Institutions: Chali-Elfiel is packed with ruins from a long line of public institutions like schools, clinics, police station, military camp etc. Now all these structures are abandoned. Health: GOAL is operating 22 clinics in Kurmuk country. The only hospital in the county is in Kurmuk town. It is operated by Samaritan s Purse and services about 180,000 residents in Kurmuk country. In Yabus payam there are 5 clinics run by GOAL. GOAL is running a Basic Health Care Unit (BHCU) in Nyile as the only medical facility in Chali Boma. Education: In general the standard for education is very poor in Kurmuk county. There are only four functioning schools in the country and the gross enrolment rate is about 1%. There are no schools or educational institutions in Chali Boma. The nearest school to Chali is a new school constructed by SP and a Teacher Training Institute (TTI) and Vocational training center in Deim Mansour approximately 40km away. The nearest high school is in Kurmuk town. Cluster Villages in Chali-Boma: See table above. Peter Rasmussen Field Officer - UNHCR Damazin