Photo: UNICEF South Sudan Kate Holt Crisis Update - September 2014 United Nations
CRP UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2014 SUMMARY A deteriorating crisis mitigated by emergency aid Nine months of conflict have shaken South Sudan. Tens of thousands of men, women and children have died and millions more are threatened by violence, hunger, malnutrition and disease. Clinics and schools are closed, fields lie idle and salaries go unpaid. People who were already desperately poor now teeter on the edge of survival. KEY FIGURES 1.4 million people displaced inside South Sudan The humanitarian community is responding to this suffering. Over 150 national and international aid organizations are in the country to assist around 4 million people who urgently need aid. So far, they have reached over 3 million people with relief. Every week, the operation expands and the results are clear. A massive food aid and livelihoods operation has mitigated extreme hunger in conflict-affected areas; a deadly cholera outbreak has been brought under control; 55,000 severely malnourished children have received treatment; over 59,000 pregnant women have received ante-natal care. 3.8 million Even with these achievements, more is needed. The aid operation covers vast areas and faces extreme logistical challenges. And despite many donors generosity, the Crisis Response Plan for 2014 is just 53 per cent funded. With the year drawing to a close, aid agencies are already looking further ahead; to deliver aid effectively in 2015, preparations must start now. That means making the most of the dry starting in November in order to: reach people in need; upgrade airstrips, roads and ports; and pre-position supplies before next May's rains. 269 million people aid agencies aim to assist 3.1 million people aid agencies have reached as of August 637 million US$ needed for priority activities until December US$ needed to kick-start 2015 operations The future of South Sudan can be determined now. The crisis needs to be resolved politically. In the meantime, millions rely on the international aid community. They deserve a chance to see a brighter future for their country. UNICEF/Nesbitt
CRP UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2014 WHAT IS NEEDED RIGHT NOW Resources for priority activities in 2014 and for pre-positioning of supplies and infrastructure repairs through to March 1 ADDRESSING ACUTE NEEDS IN 2014 The Crisis Response Plan for 2014 is currently 53 per cent funded, leaving a shortfall of $840 million. Of this, $637 million is urgently needed for top priority activities until the end of the year, including: z Food and livelihoods assistance z Initiating repairs of roads, airstrips, ports and services, which can only be done in the dry and must start by December z Clean water, sanitation and flood mitigation z Treatment of malnourished children and women z Emergency health services and supplies z Protection services, incl. for survivors of GBV and child soldiers z Shelter materials and household items z Emergency education for conflict-affected children Without these resources, the response cannot maintain momentum or expand further. Close to one million people with acute needs have not yet received any assistance. Many more have only had their needs partially addressed. Mobilizing more resources for aid until December remains crucial. USING DRY SEASON TO PREPARE FOR 2015 With no end in sight to the crisis, aid agencies are already preparing for 2015. The dry, which starts in November, provides a golden opportunity to pre-position supplies and improve key infrastructure such as roads and airstrips. To make the most of this opportunity, aid agencies are calling now for an additional $269 million to kick-start the 2015 operation before the end of 2014, to fund: z Essential supplies, to be pre-positioned around the country, and z Infrastructure rehabilitation and improvements which must be completed before the next rainy. Receiving these resources now will give aid agencies vital extra months to lay the foundation for a more cost-effective and flexible aid operation in 2015. Dry pre-positioning, for example, avoids heavy reliance on expensive air transport, which has increased the costs of the response to date. The resources requested will form part of the response plan for 2015 to be launched in November. $637M REQUIRED FOR IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES Cluster Required Food security and livelihoods Logistics (dry infrastructure upgrades) Water, sanitation and hygiene $311m $97m $57m Nutrition $43m Health $32m Protection $27m Emergency shelter and non-food items Multi-sector refugee response $26m $12m Education $9m Camp coordination and management Coordination and common services $9m $7m Mine action $4m Emergency telecommunications $3m $269M REQUIRED TO PREPARE FOR 2015 Cluster Required Food security and livelihoods supplies Logistics (dry infrastructure upgrades) $164m $52m Nutrition supplies $21m Water, sanitation and hygiene supplies $12m Health supplies $9m Emergency shelter supplies & non-food items Education supplies $7m $4m PLANNING AND FUNDING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR Key al events Funding trends Dry Planting Growing Wet Hunger gap period Harvest period Seasonal floods Dry Preposition supplies 2014 2013 2012 $1.2bn $1bn $0.8bn $0.6bn $0.4bn Typical conflict pattern $0.2bn Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Jan Apr Jul Oct Dec Sources: Fews Net, OCHA. Funding information from the Financial Tracking Service as of 15 September 2014.
2 CRP UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2014 A CHANGING Continued violence, widespread hunger and rains drive suffering CONTINUED FIGHTING AND DISPLACEMENT Since the revised Crisis Response Plan was launched in June the situation in South Sudan has deteriorated further. The number of people displaced from their homes has risen to around 1.8 million. Clashes have continued in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states. Over 453,000 people have now crossed into neighbouring Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, seeking refuge from violence, hunger and despair. INTERNALLY DISPLACED 1.4 million people internally displaced as of 11 Sept REFUGEES 453,000 refugees in neighbouring countries as of 19 Sept Malaria, respiratory infections and acute watery diarrhea have increased following rains in displacement sites, especially among children. A cholera outbreak which started in Juba in May spread to several other states in the following months and has so far affected over 6,000 people. The outbreak has since been brought under control thanks to a large-scale effort by health, water, sanitation and hygiene partners and health officials in the affected states and a wide-reaching social mobilization campaign. The risk of HIV among displaced people remains high. CONTINUED FOOD INSECURITY AND MALNUTRITION With the onset of the rainy, food security has improved. Normal rainfall and the start of early harvests in late August has increased availability of al crops, milk, meat and fish. This situation is expected to persist until December 2014, particularly in areas not directly affected by the conflict. The conflict has continued to be marked by brutal violence against civilians, including sexual violence targeting women and girls. The freedom of movement of many displaced people is heavily constrained, with armed men often harassing or assaulting people seeking protection or assistance. Thousands of children have been separated from their families and over 10,000 children are estimated to have been recruited and used by armed groups. The situation is compounded by the breakdown of many regular services - for example, the conflict is believed to have forced some 400,000 children out of school. SEASONAL RAINS EXACERBATE NEEDS In the past months, the rainy has hit the country with full force. For many, the rains are welcome bringing life to muchneeded crops and providing sustenance for livestock. For others, particularly for people living in congested displacement sites, the rains have brought flooding and disease. Starting in July, severe flooding in the protection site in the UN base in Bentiu underscored the immense challenges facing displaced people, as tens of thousands huddled in the inundated site amid collapsed latrines and water-logged shelters. The deterioration of the situation increased concern for the over one million displaced people across the country, most of whom are stuck in areas prone to floods. Food insecurity by state Breakdown of population by Intergrated Phase Classification (IPC) phase State 1 Minimal 2 Stressed 3 Crisis 4 Emergency Unity 210,000 380,000 305,000 135,000 Upper Nile 370,000 365,000 305,000 70,000 Jonglei 280,000 735,000 315,000 180,000 NBeG 600,000 570,000 175,000 0 WBeG 260,000 190,000 70,000 0 Lakes 450,000 420,000 275,000 5,000 Warrap 710,000 410,000 140,000 0 E. Equatoria 860,000 185,000 60,000 0 W. Equatoria 680,000 90,000 5,000 0 C. Equatoria 1,105,000 330,000 100,000 25,000 Total 5,525,000 3,675,000 1,750,000 415,000 However, 1.5 million people are projected to remain in crisis and emergency phases of food insecurity between October and December, their daily lives marked by insufficient access to food and extreme vulnerability to shocks. These people have made it through conflict, CHANGES IN DISPLACEMENT, FOOD SECURITY AND MORTALITY Internal displacement by state Millions of people 1.35m Others Lakes 1m Upper Nile Refugees in neighbouring countries Hundreds of thousands of people 453,500 Kenya Sudan 400 Men and women in displacement sites Gender breakdown in major IDP sites 100% Unity 0.5m Uganda 200 50% Jonglei Ethiopia 23-Dec 23-Feb 23-Apr 23-Jun 11-Sep 5-Jan 5-Mar 5-May 5-Jul 19-Sep Bentiu Juba PoC PoC Sources: IOM, IPC Technical Working Group, OCHA, Ministry of Health, UNICEF, UNHCR and WHO. All internal displacement figures as of 11 September. Dethoma Malakal PoC Bor PoC
CRP UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2014 3 ACUTE NEEDS IN CONFLICT-AFFECTED STATES Food insecurity, displacement and conflict hotspots by state SUDAN 94,200* ABYEI REGION 6,700 UNITY 289,300 Bentiu Malakal UPPER NILE 232,600 NORTHERN BAHR EL GHAZAL WESTERN BAHR EL 1,800 GHAZAL 26,900 Aweil Kuajok WARRAP Wau 8,600 ETHIOPIA 190,900 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC LAKES 133,800 Rumbek Bor JONGLEI 582,900 Hotspot xx South Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries *New arrivals in Sudan xx Estimated internally displaced people Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) phase (Sep 2014) Minimal Stressed Crisis Emergency Famine WESTERN 1,800 Yambio DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 59,500 Juba CENTRAL EASTERN Torit 7,600 125,500 KENYA 42,700 UGANDA displacement and a harsh lean so far in 2014 by relying on traditional coping mechanisms and significant injections of aid. Next year, their resilience is expected to be very weak. Looking towards 2015, food partners estimate that between 2.5 million people will face crisis or emergency food insecurity from January to March. Most of these will be concentrated in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states. The nutrition situation remains dire for children in South Sudan, with acute malnutrition rates above emergency thresholds in most parts of the country, especially in the conflict-affected states. The situation is generally attributable to inadequate quality food consumption and illness. Any flare up in violence would quickly become catastrophic for these children, leading to high levels of mortality. INSECURITY AND LOGISTICS KEY CONSTRAINTS South Sudan ranks among the most difficult environments for delivering assistance in the world. Insecurity has hampered the aid response on several occasions since June. In early August, several South Sudanese aid workers were killed in Maban County in Upper Nile State, based on their ethnicity. Though not directly targeting the humanitarian operation, the violence was symptomatic of the brutality shown against civilians throughout the conflict. The attacks forced aid agencies temporarily to suspend services to the over 125,000 refugees living in Maban. Though operations have since resumed, staffing levels remain lower than normal due to the security situation. In Unity State, aid flights were suspended for several days after a UN-contracted helicopter was shot down near Bentiu in August. Landmine accidents have also increased in Unity and new threats have been discovered, including cluster munitions. The rains have severely restricted access by road to people in need, forcing partners to rely on air and river transport. In a welcome development, barges began transporting relief supplies on the Nile in July. Access by air has also been relatively steady, barring temporary suspensions of flights to areas with active hostilities. The upcoming dry when roads again become passable will be the real test of conflict parties commitment to improved humanitarian access. Improving but fragile food security People in IPC phase 3 and 4 (millions) Emergency Crisis 1.12 Projected 0.42 0.89 2 2.40 0.24 0.37 0.99 1.75 0.25 1.63 1 0.96 1.23 0.99 1.26 0 Mar 13 Jul Dec 13 May 14 Sep Dec Mar 15 4 3 Malnutrition rates remain high Global acute malnutrition rates in select counties* Acceptable 4% 13% Poor 24 17% Serious counties assessed for GAM 66% Critical Mortality rates declining in key IDP sites Crude mortality rate /10,000 people by week Bentiu PoC Juba Tomping PoC Bor PoC Malakal PoC Threshold 4 2 1 Mingkaman 23-Dec-13 12-May 21-Jul 1-Sep-14 5 *Classification taken from WHO publication: "The Management of Nutrition in Major Emergencies", 2003
4 CRP UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2014 ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR Strategy to respond to severe and geographically widespread needs is working The past nine months have been challenging, not only for the people of South Sudan but also for the aid organizations working tirelessly to assist them. Even before the crisis, the country was home to one of the world s largest aid operations. When violence erupted in December 2013, NGO and UN agency offices and supplies were ransacked and looted; staff attacked and intimidated. Many organizations had to evacuate their personnel from some of the most dangerous places. The operation is still recovering, with aid agencies working hard to reestablish their presence across the country, especially in the three states worst affected by violence. AN EXPANDING OPERATION There are now over 150 organizations present across the country. Since January, some 3.1 million people have received assistance. In addition to ongoing operations in vulnerable communities, aid agencies have so far delivered aid to 109 displacement sites. Rapid response operations, geared to address the most urgent needs of people affected by conflict, have reached some 780,000 people since March 2014. These people are spread across 35 hard-toreach locations in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile, where the situation does not yet allow a more steady presence. Operations have begun to reach another 186,000 people across 10 more sites as soon as security and logistics allow. These operations are carried out by different organizations with the capacity to act quickly and flexibly to provide multi-sector assistance to address life-threatening PEOPLE REACHED 3.1 million people given access to clean water as of August HARD-TO-REACH AREAS 780,000 people reached by rapid response as of 11 Sept shortages of food, clean water, sanitation and shelter; provide emergency health care and malnutrition treatment; control disease outbreaks; and address urgent protection concerns. Operations are closely coordinated to ensure that gaps are filled quickly, and limited resources used efficiently. CLEAR RESULTS ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTORS Despite the challenging context, the aid operation has had a clear impact on people's lives. A major food and livelihoods response has helped pull nearly two million people back from the brink of famine and severe food insecurity, though the situation remains fragile. Programmes must be sustained into the dry of 2015 to avert a more severe disaster. Similarly, concerted efforts by health, water, sanitation and hygiene partners have brought under control a cholera outbreak which A WIDE-RANGING RESPONSE People reached by state and displacement sites where response is ongoing or completed SUDAN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Beneficiaries reached by state Less than 5,000 5,001-100,000 100,001-200,000 200,001-500,000 More than 500,000 Displaced people location where response is ongoing/completed Beneficiaries in Hard-to-Reach areas more than 50,000 30,001-50,000 15,000-30,000 5,001-15,000 less than 5,000 WESTERN BAHR EL GHAZAL Aweil NORTHERN BAHR EL GHAZAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO ABYEI REGION Kuajok Wau WARRAP WESTERN Yambio LAKES Bentiu UNITY Malakal Rumbek Bor Juba ^ CENTRAL JONGLEI UPPER NILE Torit EASTERN ETHIOPIA KENYA Sources: OCHA and clusters. Rapid response information as of 11 September. UGANDA
CRP UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2014 5 threatened the lives of tens of thousands of people. Other major achievements of the aid operation include: z 3.1 million people reached with clean water z 2.4 million people given food assistance* and nearly 400,000 families given livelihoods support z 524,000 people reached by nutrition programmes z Over 980,000 vaccinations provided z 443,200 people reached with camp management service and over 49,000 families given emergency shelter kits z Over 185,000 women and girls accessed GBV-related services z Over 130,000 children benefiting from emergency education and over 60,000 given psycho-social support to cope with trauma z Over 59,000 pregnant women given ante-natal care z Over 9,500 explosive remnants removed and destroyed Cluster achievements as of August 2014 Achievements against targets for 2014 set in the Crisis Response Plan Cluster Plan for 2014 Achieved as of August Camp coordination and management Education Emergency shelter and non-food items Emergency telecoms Food security and livelihoods Health Logistics Mine action Multi-sector refugee response Nutrition Protection Water, sanitation and hygiene INNOVATIVE APPROACHES 693,000 displaced ppl 223,000 children 1.45m people 180 orgs supported 444,200 130,000 64% 58% 70% Aid organizations have taken extraordinary measures to reach people most in need, such as airdrops of relief supplies. The security situation has also fostered new modes of collaboration between humanitarians and other actors. Around 100,000 people continue to seek refuge in Protection of Civilians sites inside UN bases, including some 28,000 people in Juba and an estimated 47,000 people in Bentiu. In these sites, aid agencies have coordinated closely with the UN peacekeeping missions to provide assistance and protection. 1m 120 66% 2.4m people 58%* food aid 1.4m 550,000 families livelihoods 72% 398,000 (as of July) 3.1m people 84% 2.6m 75 orgs supported 360 kilometres of road cleared 427,000 refugees 3.1m people 261,600 children 3.8m people 53 268 235,100 17% 524,000 102,600 3.1m 39% 55% 71% 74% 82% *Food partners have reached 2.4 million unique beneficiaries between January and July. However, the average number of people reached per month is 1.4 million. For the WFP part of this figure, this is a combination of the unique beneficiaries reached under EMOP and PRRO. A PATH TO MORE PREDICTABLE RELIEF In the first months of the crisis, response focused on reaching as many people as possible with a basic package of lifesaving relief. Building on these achievements, aid agencies have adopted a concept of operating centres to guide the response in the coming months. The approach has three goals: z Re-establishing presence in strategic field locations z Reaching more vulnerable communities in remote locations by covering predefined areas z Improving predictability and effectiveness of the response The operating centres will help ensure that the assistance provided is more consistent and predictable and takes into consideration longer-term needs in addition to immediate threats to people s lives. They will also help de-centralize the response, by ensuring that coordination and decision-making happens closer to people in need. In Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states 10 locations have been identified as possible operating centres. These are currently being assessed against several criteria: needs in the surrounding area; security for civilians and humanitarians; accessibility in the wet and dry s; and logistical requirements (e.g. landing strip, access to water). Protection concerns, including the risk of creating pull factors for displaced people in potentially insecure areas, are being carefully considered in the selection of locations. The approach builds on several initiatives already underway. For example, aid agencies have already set up centres in several places, enabling them to better service areas with high levels of needs, and providing a base to reach further into rural areas that are difficult to access. Information gathered during rapid response operations has fed into the initial identification of potential sites. Indicative locations for operating centres UNITY WARRAP LAKES Bentiu ( Koch ") Leer ") Rumbek ( Ganyliel ") ( Malakal Old Fangak ") Haat ") White Nile SUDAN Bor Walgak ") JONGLEI UPPER NILE Kiech Kon ") Mathiang ") Akobo ") Pagak ") ETHIOPIA