Monthly Humanitarian Update South Sudan Conflict August 2016 (31.08.2016)

South Sudan HRP 2016 Cover Page
South Sudan HRP 2016 Cover Page

Situation Overview

  • The resurgence of violence in July and August resulted in increased inflow of civilians into Protection of Civilian (POC) sites, particularly in Juba and Wau.
  • Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that there are now 197,000 internally-displaced population (IDP) seeking shelter in UN protected sites across South Sudan.
  • At the UN House POC site in Juba, the number of IDPs has reached 37,200 following the fighting between government and opposition forces.
  • In Wau, more than 2,500 new civilians have arrived in various IDP camps in August.
  • In Bentiu, the POC site is now host to some 98,600 IDPs.
  • 78 health facilities have been damaged across the country and among those forced to flee by the violence were health workers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
  • The conflict has hindered movement of civilians, affecting their access to health services. The dire situation increases risks of maternal mortality for pregnant women, as well as protection issues for women and girls in general.
  • Several pregnant who fled the fighting in Leer and Mayendit Counties have travelled for days on foot to reach the Bentiu POC site.
  • In the semi-urban areas of Rubkona and Bentiu town, young people are looking for opportunities for livelihood and economic activities.

UNFPA Assistance to Humanitarian Needs

The United Nations Population Fund works with the Government, donors and other partners to deliver lifesaving reproductive health services, including prevention and management of gender-based violence, to the crisisaffected population especially women and young people.

Sexual and Reproductive Health

  • UNFPA has delivered emergency reproductive health kits and other supplies to various partners for Central Equatorial, Upper Nile region, including Maban County,
    Cueibet State, Yei, Nimule, Aweil and Bentiu.
  • Additional RH Kits, medicines and dignity kits worth USD320,000 are expected to arrive in early September.

How South Sudan’s Kiir and Machar ‘profited during war’ – BBC News (Youtube-Clip)

“The political and military elite of South Sudan have made themselves rich while the country has been impoverished by a civil war of their making, according to a report commissioned by George Clooney. An investigative unit called “The Sentry” co-funded by the actor, and activist John Prendergast, spent two years following the money trail” (BBC News, 2016)

H.E. Benjamin Mpaka Statement at the Extra-Ordinary EAC Heads of State Summit recently (Earlier in September 2016)

mpaka-statement-p1mpaka-statement-p2mpaka-statement-p3mpaka-statement-p4

South Sudan music 2016 – We Are Hungry (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z2dt_NqX2c

UNMISS: Independent Special Investigation Team arrives in Juba to commence work on the July Incidents (09.09.2016)

unmiss0909

Mixed reactions to South Sudan government agreeing to regional force (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46uQ5YlymCs

“The planned deployment of a regional protection force to South Sudan has been met with mixed reactions. While people sheltering in UN compounds support the extra troops, other residents in Juba are against the move. Government accepted the regional deployment at the weekend during a visit by a United Nations Security Council delegation” (South Sudan Review, 2016)

The SPLM/SPLA IO Position on Joint Communique between SPLM/SPLA-IG and the UNSC Members who visited Juba

splm-io-05-09-2016

Conflict Continues to Drive Displacement in South Sudan (06.09.2016)

displaced-families-wait-for-health-care-assistance-at-the-un-protected-site-in-wau-photo_iom_mohamm

The dynamic nature of the conflict has resulted in the constant movement of civilians as they attempt to escape shifting locations of insecurity.

JUBA, South Sudan, September 6, 2016 – Fighting between armed groups across parts of South Sudan continues to drive displacement, including in areas that had been relatively stable since the crisis broke out in December 2013. The dynamic nature of the conflict has resulted in the constant movement of civilians as they attempt to escape shifting locations of insecurity.

Current population movements are fluid in several areas, including Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Unity, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria and Unity. In the past two months, over 80,000 people have been displaced in Wau and 12,000 in Juba alone.

In southern parts of Central Equatoria, which had previously remained fairly stable, an escalating number of security incidents has pushed large numbers of civilians to leave their homes to seek safety. The movements have been particularly significant from Yei, with multiple reports of targeted violence and harassment against civilians and disruptions in the delivery of aid supplies.

“At the same time as we see the needs continue to grow, access constraints are making it more difficult for humanitarians to access vulnerable people or even measure the scale of displacement and unfolding needs as violence spreads to new locations,” said John McCue, IOM South Sudan Head of Operations.

Many of the recent population movements from Central Equatoria have been across the southern borders to Uganda and Kenya, but increased insecurity in parts of Yei, Morobo and Magwi counties is making it increasingly dangerous for civilians to move and may be preventing people from reaching safer areas.

In Leer, Unity, insecurity has forced civilians to seek protection in nearby islands, while others have reportedly moved south or reached the UN protection of civilians site in Bentiu. These patterns of movement in central Unity may increase as insecurity persists.

On 4 September, IOM joined a UN Security Council delegation to witness first-hand the needs of displaced communities in Wau since heavy fighting in late June. While IOM and humanitarian agencies are providing lifesaving aid at displacement sites across Wau town, access constraints have limited efforts to reach thousands of displaced families in some areas south of town since early July.

IOM recently regained access to Ngisa in southern Wau to deliver essential medicines and evaluate health and water needs. IOM has received reports of people returning to parts of Wau town, which may be a response to improved security in the area or a result of limited access to relief services in areas outside of the town.

More than 1.6 million people are internally displaced across South Sudan, in addition to 786,000 people who have fled to neighbouring countries since December 2013. More than half of the country (6.1 million people) are in need of relief aid.

 

Joint Communique by the Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan and the Members of the United Nations Security Council (05.09.2016)

Salva Kiir Poster

The Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan expressed its determination to implement the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 5, 2016 – The Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan expressed its determination to implement the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, in particular the reform agenda, now that the Transitional National Legislative Assembly is in place. 

The members of the United Nations Security Council and the Transitional Government of National Unity agreed to work in a fresh spirit of cooperation to advance the interests of the South Sudanese people, particularly their aspirations for justice, liberty, and prosperity.  They agree that the humanitarian and security needs of the people are Paramount.

To improve the security situation, the Transitional Government of National Unity gave its consent to the deployment, as part of UNMISS, of the Regional Protection Force recently authorized by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2304.  The United Nations Security Council agreed that troop contributors and UNMISS and the Transitional Government of National Unity will continue to work through the modalities of the deployment, building upon the consultations of August 25 and September 1 and anticipating further imminent discussions.

The Transitional Government of National Unity commits to permit free movement of UNMISS in conformity with its mandate, including to protect civilians.  To this end, the Transitional Government of National Unity commits to devising a plan with UNMISS by the end of September 2016 on concrete steps to remove impediments to UNMISS’s ability to implement its mandate, including reviewing procedures related to movement of UNMISS and streamlining bureaucratic processes.  UNMISS commits to inform the Transitional Government of National Unity of all movements and of other details as appropriate.

The Transitional Government of National Unity signals its readiness to implement Chapter V of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, including to work with the African Union in setting up the Hybrid Court for South Sudan as soon as the African Union provides proposals for its work as provided in the Agreement. 

The Transitional Government of National Unity commits to immediately improve humanitarian access, including by providing assistance in eliminating illegal checkpoints and by reviewing by the end of September 2016 with the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, modalities for streamlining bureaucratic processes and access to populations in need.

Audio: Statement regarding meeting between UNSC and President Kiir