UNHCR Sudan Operations No 84 March 2008 Photo: UNHCR/C. Hamm Swiss "Saurer" and Swedish "Scania" trucks bring back returnees to Loa in Southern Sudan. Contents: South Sudan, Blue Nile Page 2 to 4 Darfur Page 4 to 5 Eastern Sudan and Khartoum Page 5 to 6
SOUTHERN SUDAN AND THE BLUE NILE During the last week of March, UNHCR assisted refugee returns to South Sudan passed the 100,000 mark with more than 4,500 refugees repatriating weekly from camps in countries bordering Sudan. The pace of returns has steadily increased since last December when the 2007-2008 repatriation season kicked off after the end of the rains. This can be attributed to the GOS census planned to take place next month, as well as refugees motivation to return before the commencement of the next rainy season in May. By the end of March, over 250,000 refugees had returned to South Sudan and the Blue Nile State from mainly Uganda (the largest repatriation country), Kenya and Ethiopia. With the rise in the number of refugees repatriating, UNHCR has expanded returns to Lakes, Warrab, Unity, Northern and Western Bahr el Ghazal States. All refugees repatriating with UNHCR assistance are registered and provided with domestic items such as plastic sheeting, kitchen sets, blankets, jerricans, construction material and FAO-supplied agricultural seeds and tools. Returnees were also provided with a three-month food ration by WFP, items such as plastic sheets, blankets, kitchen sets, jerry cans, construction materials and agricultural seeds and immediately or after reaching their villages. Persons with specific needs like the elderly or unaccompanied minors and medical cases are tended to appropriately. In terms of awareness, returnees also receive mine-risk education and HIV- AIDS sensitisation. Monthly organized and assisted self-repatriated returns with average returns "2006" "2007" "2008" "Average" 16,000 14,000 12,000 Number of returnees 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 January February March April May June July August September October November December Months 2
Returns from Uganda: 8,158 persons returned from Uganda this month, in a total of 35 convoys en route to the counties of Magwi and Torit. The majority of convoys passed through the border town of Nimule, where the South Sudan truck fleet is based to accommodate demand for repatriation from refugees in the Ugandan settlements. The target for April 2008 is 3,600 returns per week. UNHCR/M. Ilyias Returnees from Uganda reunite with relatives in Hiyala Returns from Kenya: In March, a total of 2,737 persons returned home from Kakuma camp, the majority of whom returned by road via Kapoeta and Juba to Bor, or to Central and Eastern Equatoria. Trucking capacity on the Kakuma repatriation corridor remains a challenge for the operation. As there is no dedicated truck fleet for this corridor, the route can allow only one convoy per week to South Sudan. There were air returns from Kakuma in March as well. Currently there are 5,900 refugees registered to return from Kenya, while another 5,000 are thought to have returned spontaneously. Returns from Ethiopia: On 17 March the first convoy of 2008 from the Sherkhole camp in Ethiopia arrived in the Mabaan county of Upper Nile State, transiting through Blue Nile State. Overall returns from Ethiopia totalled 4,290 in March. Of them, 2,439 returnees were assisted to voluntary repatriate from the Bonga Camp to their villages in Blue Nile State. Another 1,851 arrived in South Sudan from mainly Sherkole camp via the Mabaan corridor. UNHCR is focusing on completing the way station and other facilities in Mabaan to cater to the large numbers of returns which are expected through that corridor throughout April. UNHCR is making efforts to boost returns from Ethiopia next month by reopening the Pagak corridor that is still inactive due to the collapse of the bridge over the Jikou River. Japanese Contribution to SS Education: The official signing ceremony formalizing a grant of US 8.7 million dollars to UNHCR by the Government of Japan took place in Juba on March 7 th. The grant will support the construction of a national Teacher Training Institute with two campuses in Juba and Aweil, that will have the capacity to train 420 teachers in the areas of Science and Technology. In conjunction, five satellite primary schools will be constructed where teachers in training will conduct classes to gain experience. The project will be implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Southern Sudan as well as UNICEF and WFP. The ceremony was hosted by the 3
Minister, Professor Job Dhuruai and attended by HE Mr. Yuichi Ishii, Ambassador of Japan and Ms. Ameerah Haq, DSRSG/HC/RC. While in Southern Sudan, the DSRSG and the Ambassador viewed a returnee convoy from Uganda. Meanwhile, Mme. Sadako Ogata, Director of Japan s cooperation agency JICA and former High Commissioner for Refugees and a senior delegation from JICA met with UNHCR in Sudan and traveled to Juba to get a first hand glimpse of the return operation. Emergency in West Darfur UNHCR continued to respond to the emergency in the area north of El Geneina (the so-called Northern Corridor) which was created by the launch of air and ground attacks on the villages of Sirba, Sileah and Abou Sarouj in February. From the onset of hostilities, UNHCR with the UN agencies and NGOs has conducted 14 joint needs assessment missions to Sileah, Sirba, Abou Sarouj, Tendelti, and Armankul. Assistance elsewhere in West Darfur In El Geneina, capital of West Darfur State 133 families relocated from the overpopulated Riyad IDP camp to the newly established IDP camp at Abu Zar II received UNHCR kitchen sets and jerricans. DARFUR Khartoum, medical supplies have been dispatched to Mornei. UNHCR reported acute water shortages in Mornei camp related to distribution of water to hilly areas, lack of pipes and insufficient pressure to pump water. UNICEF, upon receipt of the information, organized with WES to resolve the situation. Remedial measures were put in place until it can be resolved completely. An additional borehole was installed in Um Shalaya refugee camp to cater for the additional quantities required for the new arrivals. Shelter materials were distributed to 28 new refugee families -13 from CAR and 15 from Chad, in Mujkar refugee camp. NFI distributions also took place to 70 refugee families whose homes were destroyed in accidental fires caused by the dry season. In Um Shalaya refugee camp hosting Chadians, UNHCR distributed WFPsupplied food to 6,300 refugees. Meanwhile in Zalingei, 23 suspected meningitis cases were reported of which three were confirmed positive. A meningitis vaccination campaign was organized with 20,000 IDPs vaccinated by 16 March. There are seven suspected but unconfirmed cases in Mornei IDP camp. While samples are being tested in Steady influx of Chadians During the course of March, over 900 households from the Tissi area crossed into Um Dukhun near the border with Chad. The reasons given for their flight include insecurity in Chad, poor harvest and crop destruction, and decreasing food distribution in Eastern Chad. The GOS has requested that all new arrivals move to refugee camps in Um Shalaya and Mukjar, where they will receive assistance. 4
North and South Darfur UNHCR continued with its expansion into North and South Darfur. On 31 March, senior field staff were redeployed to Nyala in South Darfur, following discussions with the Wali and other senior government officials. Meanwhile in North Darfur, the UNHCR team based in El Fasher undertook their first field mission to Kutum to meet government officials and agencies working in the area. They gathered first hand information on the security situation and identified potential NGO partners. Agreement is underway to establish a field presence in this locality which is a potential area of eventual return for both for IDPs and refugees in Chad. Discussions with OCHA, UNMIS (POC) on planning a gradual handover of roles and responsibilities in protection and camp management issues have been initiated. Registration EASTERN SUDAN AND KHARTOUM The registration exercise of some 170,000 refugees located in central and eastern Sudan and Khartoum, a key element of the Solutions Strategy developed by the Commission on Refugees (COR) and UNHCR, officially commenced during the month of March in Abuda and Um Gagour refugee camps in Gedaref State. The registration is progressing well with no major incidents. Changes in family composition marriages, births and deaths and divorce have been high. The registration will enable UNHCR and COR to more effectively target protection and assistance interventions as well as durable solutions. For the Eritreans, the registration will result in prima facie recognition those of them who had lost their refugee status as a result of the application of the Cessation Clause of December 2002. Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Khartoum Lack of documentation and the resulting restricted freedom of movement continue to be a key protection concern. In Khartoum this month, 393 people were detained by the aliens department and of these 74% were found to be of concern to UNHCR. Only one of them remained in custody at the end of March due in large part to UNHCR s efforts to secure their release. IDPs in Khartoum In Khartoum UNHCR continued to work with partners to provide support to IDP communities, including with basic legal aid. During the month of March Al Manar, one of UNHCR partners, organised an advanced training for its paralegals, i.e. a group of community representatives tasked to facilitate peaceful dispute resolution in the IDP communities and provide basic legal advice based on national legislation. The advanced course was organized in the framework of an agreement between Al Manar and the Shuraih Algadi Center for Legal Studies in Khartoum. Lectures 5
were given on different legal topics (family law, family law for non- Muslims, civil procedures, criminal legislation and procedures, child rights and national legislation, labour legislation, land legislation). The objective was to better equip the paralegals, selected according to qualification and gender balance, with skills to continue to perform their role of legal advisors in the communities, while complex civil and criminal cases requiring court representation continue to be filed and referred for appropriate follow-up to a team of professional lawyers working for Al Manar. In a separate development, the Government of South Sudan mounted an operation of organised IDP returns from Khartoum to South Sudan, in the run-up to the upcoming national census. It is estimated that almost 7,000 IDPs availed themselves of the transport assistance provided to return to their areas of origin, mainly Unity and Upper Nile States. UNHCR supported the authorities in Upper Nile with tents to build a provisional reception centre in Mabaan and hosted stranded IDPs in its way station in Torit in eastern Equatoria, while concurrently receiving convoys of repatriating refugees. UNHCR is concerned that without a good coordination amongst the authorities and without due consideration for the absorption capacity in areas of return this process has the potential to escalate tensions and create localized conflicts. COUNTRYWIDE UNHCR marked International Women s Day in all of its operational areas. In Khartoum, UNHCR participated in the UN wide organized event while in other locations, UNHCR organized celebrations together with our partners and local authorities. While an impressive effort, this development and the lack of coordination between the authorities States/High Committee on one hand and HAC/SSRRC on the other created a confusing situation for IDP communities in Khartoum, so far assisted by the HAC/SSRRC/UN/IOM organized return process. In addition, also due to the lack of adequate information to the authorities in areas of arrival, this parallel process put unforeseen strains on the resources of the humanitarian actors on the ground in Southern Sudan and Blue Nile State that were often called to assist the unexpectedly arriving IDPs. Photo: UNHCR/B. Helleland Toposa women dancing in Kapoeta, South Sudan, at International Women s Day Celebration 6