Duration: Sixteen months (1st September 2011 to 31st December 2012)

North and South Sudan finalized their formal separation on the 9th July 2011, following a referendum on secession as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005. In light of the separation of North and South Sudan, the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) Steering Committee comprised of main user organisations and donors requested to split the existing UNHAS mission, which has been serving a unified Sudan, and to establish a separate mission for the Republic of South Sudan (ROSS).

The Governor or Warrap State Nyandeng Malek, says the inter-communal fight in Tonj East County has been resolved.

Governor Malek, who is touring the state to sensitize citizens on insecurity, says a health centre in Tonj East destroyed during the recent inter-communal fight, is being renovated.
She says the cause of conflict in the state is over sharing water and grazing land.
Malek added that the government decided to dig boreholes to reduce on the issues of shortage of water. “In this county, there was a setback when they fought. They went up to destroying small health centers between them. Thank God now they are renovated and said they will not do that again so I think peace is what we people in the governing really have to be passing every day that we need peace among our communities so that the services can be delivered smoothly,” says Malek.
Governor Malek, says the awareness against violence and cattle wrestling in her state resulted into current calmness.

Djibouti

Total 2012 figures of migrants between Djibouti and Yemen: In 2012, a total of 107,532 persons arrived on the shores of Yemen. The number of migrants arriving in Yemen in 2012; were a 4 per cent increase from the 103,532 persons who arrived in Yemen in 2011, and more than double the 53,382 migrants who arrived in Yemen in 2010. 75 per cent or 80,465 persons who arrived in Yemen in 2012 travelled via Djibouti.

New Arrivals: In December 2012, an estimated 5,718 persons arrived on Yemen’s shores via Djibouti, this was a 13 per cent decrease from the previous month. The major departure point in Djibouti was Obock and different coastal departure points 30-40 km north of Obock.

Boats: During the year, a total of 1213 smuggler boats trips left via the Red Sea for Yemen. In December 2012 alone, 91 boats left for Yemen, this figure is slightly lower than the previous months. The decrease in boat trips during December maybe a signal that increased security patrols in Obock might be having an effect of number of persons undertaking smuggling activities, or that migrants and smugglers might be avoiding major towns for fear of being caught up in police raids. The seas are also generally more difficult to navigate in December due to rough weather and this can have an effect on number of boats willing to make the journey to Yemen.

Migrant interceptions: During the year approximately 3,533 irregular migrants were intercepted and rescued at sea as they were being smuggled on boat trips to Yemen. The irregular migrants are often returned to Djibouti by security patrols manning the seas to curb smuggling and trafficking activity.

NAIROBI (AlertNet) – Malnutrition rates in Sudan’s war-torn border states have doubled to 30 percent as starving people, denied humanitarian aid, eat just one meal every three days, activists said on Friday as they urged the African Union (AU) to launch an inquiry into what they called “crimes against humanity”.

Read the full story

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 23:07 GMT

• Talks end without agreement on troop withdrawals

• Will mean further delay in oil exports

• Talks postponed until Feb. 13, Sudan says

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Hereward Holland

KHARTOUM/JUBA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan on Saturday failed to agree on how to withdraw armies from their disputed border after a round of talks in Ethiopia, delaying again the resumption of crucial oil exports.

Read the full article on AlertNet

WFP ETHIOPIA 2013 Planned Assistance*

Targeted Beneficiaries 7.1 million

Food Requirements 845,758 metric tons

Cost US$ 765.9 million

Shortfall (% of total cost) 73%

See page 4 for break down

*Plans will be adjusted in accordance to the new Humanitarian Requirements Document expected to be released in late January.

Food Security Summary

Food security continues to be stable across the country due to the positive impact of the recent seasonal rains, the provision of humanitarian assistance, and the start of Meher harvest.

Pasture and water availability, as well as livestock conditions and productivity have improved in most parts of the country following the recent rains. Despite this overall improvement, they remain poor to below average in some areas and may not sustain the livestock for more than two months into 2013. Areas now experiencing below normal pasture and water availa-bility are several lowland areas of East and West Harerghe, and Bale zones of Oromia; Dasenech woreda in South Omo Zone; Tselemt, woreda in North Gondar; and isolated pocket areas in central and southern Somali, eastern parts of Tigray; and some areas in Afar. Shortages of these pastoral resources and declines in livestock conditions are expected to continue until the coming Belg/Gu/Genna rains hopefully reverse the situation.

Some of the chronically water insecure woredas of the country have continued to report shortages of water for human consumption. Where shortages of water and pasture are pro-nounced early outmigration of livestock to nearby but relatively better off woredas/zones have already taken place. There is some concern that if concentration of livestock in some pocket areas intensifies, it could result in rapid depletion of pastoral resources in those spots and possibly trigger an outbreak of conflict between host communities and migrants over the scarce resources.

Even though production of long-cycle maize and sorghum, two important staple crops in the country, has significantly dropped mainly due to weather irregularities at the beginning and end of the last Meher rainy season, the overall prospect of the 2012 Meher production looks promising especially in central, western and northwestern parts of the country. This should normally have a positive impact on market supply and prices of staple foods at least in the first three months of 2013. Already, prices of cereals are showing either stability or slight declines in some of the markets. Further declines in food pric-es are normally expected as the harvest season comes to an end and much more grain flows to the markets.

In some areas of the country, harvests will be less than average due to localized damages to crops by hailstorms, floods, wa-ter logging, moisture stresses, frost, crop diseases and pest infestations, Significant decline in crop production is actually expected in some low-lying areas of Eastern, Southern and Southeastern Tigray; several lowland parts and few highland areas of eastern Amhara; A similar poor production is anticipated in the lowland parts of East and West Harerghe, parts of Borena, Bale, Arsi, North Shewa and West Shewa zones of Oromia Region. Crop production in most agro-pastoral and sed-entary farming areas of Somali Region is also not promising. All this is heavily associated with the late start of Belg/Genna/Gu rains at the time of land preparation and planting for long-cycle crops, long dry spells during the season, and early cessa-tion of the Kiremt rains well before some crops attained full maturity.

The HRD for the first half of 2013, which will be based on the findings of the recently concluded multi-sector emergency needs assessment, is now under preparation. The HRD is expected to be released by DRMFSS in early February 2013.

This week severe monsoon rains caused major flooding in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta, affecting 250,000 people and displacing 18,000.

According to UNAMID, the tribal clashes which erupted on 9 January in North Darfur, Sudan, led to the displacement of a total of 70,000 people.

In Syria the conflict continues to affect large parts of the country with escalating tensions in Homs, Aleppo, Idlib and Damascus provinces.

The ground offensive against Islamist rebels in Mali continued on 21 January with French forces entering the central Malian town of Diabaly.

The Government of Myanmar declared a ceasefire in the conflict with Kachin rebels on Friday 18 January; however Kachin rebels reported on 21 January that fighting continues. At least 2,000 people are newly displaced due to latest fighting.

Global Emergency Overview web interface

South Sudan has laid one of the key building blocks for democracy by establishing a rule of law system, said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for South Sudan, Hilde F. Johnson, during a visit to the Western Equatoria state capital of Yambio today.

Ms. Johnson highlighted some of the key accomplishments of UNMISS to date during a meeting with Governor Joseph Bakosoro, members of his cabinet and the deputy speaker of the Western Equatoria State Legislative Assembly. These included capacity-building programs for officers of the South Sudan National Police Service and the entering of the names of 49,500 of such officers into a database.

“You have established … the basic foundation for democracy done in an inclusive manner,” said Ms. Johnson.

Noting that UNMISS is facing some challenges such as a shortage of qualified engineering companies in South Sudan, the SRSG voiced hope that the situation would improve in the coming months.

Ms. Johnson revealed that UNMISS plans to construct a five-kilometre road in Yambio and implement water projects to benefit the residents of six counties across South Sudan where the mission currently operates support bases.

“I will work hard with other UN agencies to make sure that there are funds for other small quick impact projects,” said Ms. Johnson.

The SRSG later met with representatives of civil society organizations in Western Equatoria and the commander of the African Union regional task force that was established in March 2012 to eliminate the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels led by Joseph Kony.

16 January 2013 – As the number of children living and working on the streets of the Western Bahr El-Ghazal capital Wau continues to cause grave concern, the state’s Child Protection Working Group unveiled an action plan today aimed at addressing the problem.

“The different actors that are here … share (in the) responsibility (to) eliminate the appearance of children on the street”, said the state government’s Minister of Youth and Sports Arkangelo Anyar.

The group, which comprises UNMISS Child Protection officers, UNICEF, the non-governmental organization Save the Children and the state government ministries of Youth and Sports, and Gender and Social Welfare, discussed an assessment report on 457 children who are known to be living on the streets. The assessment was conducted in May 2012.

“We are here to deliberate on how to take the report forward in terms of actions,” said UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Joyce Mutiso.

She emphasised the need to implement the action plan that will help reduce the number of children working and living on the city’s streets.

In recent years there have been increasing reports of children who, in the absence of appropriate care and attention at home, take to the streets of major cities and towns throughout South Sudan.

Wau County Executive Director Pasco Pasquale called on citizens to take seriously their child-rearing responsibilities.

“The number of the children on the street is increasing rapidly, which is a threat to security” he said.

According to the head of the UNMISS Child Protection Unit Hazel de Wet, many of these children come from families who returned to the country and have not been permanently resettled yet.

“It is an issue of concern because these children are in danger of coming into conflict with the law,” Ms. de Wet said recently.

January 21, 2013 (RUMBEK) - Authorities in Rumbek, the capital of South Sudan’s Lakes state have resumed forceful disarmament after sectional clashes erupted in its Rumbek Central County for the first time.

On January 18, Amothnhom and Panyon inter-clans clashes in the state left more than 25 people dead and about 30 who sustained gunshot wounds were admitted in Rumbek civil hospital.

Lakes state Governor Chol Tong Mayay issued order to Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and South Sudan Police Services (SSPS) to immediate launch a forceful disarmament in three counties of Rumbek Central, Cueibet and Rumbek East.

However, while Lakes state committee leaders blame on the SPLA allegedly selling firearms to pastoral youth, the army spokesman, Philip Aguer dismissed the accusation.

Recently, about 10 people died in Cueibet County, located at western part of Lakes state, when a group of heavily armed Gok Dinka youth killed seven SPLA soldiers in Malual-chum cattle camp.

Charles Badiri Mayen, Lakes state Information Minister has supported the decision taken by government on forceful disarmament.

"We must disarm all armed civilian by all cost," he said.

(ST)

IOM Appeals for US$ 303 Million for 2013 Humanitarian Projects

In order to implement various humanitarian emergency projects, some of which were initiated in 2012, IOM is appealing to donors for US$ 303 million for humanitarian projects in 2013.

IOM is the global lead agency for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster in natural disasters. It is also the lead agency for the Shelter cluster in a half dozen countries, as well as a key actor in other clusters.

The IOM Humanitarian Compendium 2013 is seeking the funds to complete emergency projects in 16 countries including Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Mali, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Among the major projects, some US$ 60 million is needed to assist the safe and dignified return of 300,000 South Sudanese who are still in the Republic of Sudan. The money will also provide life-saving primary health care services to the returnees and the communities to which they return.

South Sudan has some of the worst health indicators in the world. Less than 20% of the population has access to primary health care services. The money will also go towards providing shelter and essential non-food relief items, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH.)

In Yemen, IOM is seeking US$ 38 million to continue to help thousands of stranded vulnerable migrants from the Horn of Africa to voluntarily return home. Most arrived in the country after a hazardous journey across the Gulf of Aden. The funds will also go towards helping the most vulnerable and rebuilding livelihoods in Yemen’s war-torn Abyan and al-Jawf governorates.

In Kenya, the Organization is seeking US$ 35 million to provide shelter, non-food relief items and health assistance to some 473,000 Somali refugees sheltering at the Daadab refugee camp, the largest in the world. It will also help another 300,000 Kenyans who are internally displaced because of natural disasters and inter-ethnic conflict.

Part of the money will also go towards projects aimed at strengthening the resilience of the pastoral and host communities in northern Kenya, whose livelihoods have been severely affected by the influx of refugees and long drought spells.

Another major tranche of the funding will go towards the provision of emergency aid to civilians engulfed in the Syrian crisis. IOM is seeking US$ 36 million to continue to provide non-food items (NFIs) to growing numbers of internally displaced Syrians.

According to UNHCR, there are now in excess of two million Syrian civilians in urgent need of NFI aid. IOM has stepped up its distribution of NFIs and winterization kits to Syrian civilians in Syria and Lebanon.

IOM also needs funding for the evacuation of vulnerable migrant workers in Syria. Since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011, IOM has helped some 3,300 vulnerable migrants from 36 countries to safely return home.

Other on-going projects linked to the Syrian crisis include transport assistance for refugees entering Jordan to reach the Za’tri refugee camp, and construction and rehabilitation of emergency shelters , health care assistance and psychosocial support for refugees in Lebanon.

In Haiti, US$ 18.5 million is needed to continue to provide rental subsidies that allow internally displaced families to leave over-crowded camps and move into rented accommodation to restart their lives three years after the devastating earthquake of January, 2010.

The money will be also used to provide WASH services to prevent the spread of cholera and other communicable diseases.

In South Sudan’s Unity State, UNHCR is set to open a new refugee camp in the coming weeks. This will help us to manage further inflows of Sudanese refugees and to decongest the existing settlement in Yida, where essential services are overstretched.

Together with the South Sudanese government we have agreed to locate the new camp at Ajuong, a forested area of red sandy soil with good terrain, water resources, and plenty of space. Ajuong is located in the border county of Pariang. We have received assurances from the national authorities that the location is safe.

Refugee leaders and UNHCR have been working jointly to assess the suitability of the new site. After a “go and see visit” organized for members of the refugee community, refugees determined that the site is suitable for them. The black cotton soil in the area could be used for agriculture by the refugee population. Local communities in the area have also reacted positively to the proposal.

In addition to Ajuong, which will eventually hold 20,000 refugees, UNHCR is planning to open other camps in Unity State in northern South Sudan. The new camps could eventually hold an estimated 110,000 refugees.

New arrivals from Southern Kordofan in Sudan will be given priority in Ajuong, which is expected to begin receiving refugees in early March. As well as housing newly arrived refugees, we are hoping that many existing refugees in other camps will choose to relocate there. The new site will allow refugees to live in a safe environment where better conditions exist for self-reliance and livelihoods assistance.

Currently, Yida, which holds 61,000 people, is the largest refugee location in South Sudan. However the Yida site presents major problems – in large part because it is totally cut-off during the six months of the rainy season, posing serious hygiene and health risks. Last year the World Food Programme had to fly in 2,500 metric tons of food at high cost while UNHCR airlifted thousands of tons of essential relief items such as buckets, plastic sheets, and medicines.

The close proximity of Yida from a contested border area with Sudan also poses security problems, raising concerns about the safety of refugees and the civilian character of the site.

Currently, some 300 refugees are arriving in South Sudan every day. While the situation is fluid, as many as 60,000 more could arrive over the next five to six months during the course of the dry season.

For further information on this topic, please contact:

In Nairobi (Regional), Kitty McKinsey on mobile +254 735 337 608
In Juba, Eduardo Cue on mobile + 211 920 001 048
In Geneva, Fatoumata Lejeune-Kaba on mobile +41 79 249 3483

A private company from Israel has entered into an agreement with the National ministry of health to build a hospital in Juba.

Staro Medic Company will construct the hospital with 600 beds in the former Hai Temorigia, near Juba teaching hospital. Health Minister, Michael Hussein Mill,i made the revelation while touring Juba teaching hospital with a delegation from the company. The Minister did not give details of when the hospital will be built, but said the new facility would give people access to more health services.

“Everybody knows that Juba teaching hospital now is not able to cope with the number of patients that go to the hospital on daily basis. So we brought them on site to see physical the number of patients that attend the various departments on daily basis. We went to the wards and they have seen the congestion there, after seeing it they have agreed that they are ready to construct a six hundred bed hospital for us in Juba,” says Milli.

Gambella January 22/2013 Senior army officers of Ethiopia and South Sudan signed agreement to work in collaboration on issues related to ensuring peace and security along their common border. Ethiopian delegation head, Brigadier General Zewdu Belay and South Sudanese delegation leader, Major General Gebriel Jock signed the agreement in Gambella Town, Gambella Regional State. State Chief, Umod Ubong on the occasion stressed the need for security forces of Ethiopia and South Sudan to work jointly to increase the benefits of peoples of the two countries from peace and security. Umod said maintaining reliable peace and security along the common border enables to further boost people-to-people ties and economic relation between the two countries. The Chief said successful activities have been carried out to extradite wanted criminals and anti-peace forces between the two countries. He also stressed the need to further intensify such activities and enhance ongoing efforts towards growth of the benefits of the peoples of the two countries. Brigadier General Zewdu on his part said the two countries are undertaking integrated activities to ensure sustainable peace and security along their common border. Major General Jock also said Ethiopia and South Sudan have not only people-to-people ties but also economic and cultural relations, among others. South Sudan is desirous to further boost existing overall relation with Ethiopia, he said, adding, the agreement will help to strengthen peace and security in the area.

Maize, sorghum, wheat, and groundnuts are the most important food commodities in South Sudan. Sorghum, maize, and groundnuts are the staple foods for the poor in most rural areas. Maize flour and wheat (as bread) are more important for middle-income and rich households in urban areas. Sorghum and maize are generally substitutable for one another but preferences are shifting towards maize over time, especially in the southern half of Southern Sudan. Groundnuts are important for the rural poor in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap, and Lakes states. Short-term sorghum is harvested in July – August in Greater Equatoria states and in September – October in Greater Bahr el Ghazal, Greater Upper Nile states and Jonglei states, and long-term sorghum in December – January particularly in Lakes, Western Bahr El Ghazal, Warrap, and Upper Nile states. Maize grain and flour from Uganda are available throughout the year because of the bi-modal rainfall pattern and carryover stocks. The main retail markets are in the state capitals, namely, Juba, Aweil, Malakal, Wau, Torit, Kuajok, Bentiu, Bor, Rumbek, and Yambio, but historical price data sets (2006-2010) are only available for Juba, Aweil, Malakal, and Wau only. The most important local wholesale market is in Renk, a mechanized cereal producing area in Upper Nile state. Aweil, Wau, Kuajok, and Bentiu are mostly supplied in cereals from Khartoum and El Obeid, while Malakal is also supplied by Renk through Kosti. In Juba, Torit, Bor, and Rumbek, cereal supplies mostly come from Uganda.

HIGHLIGHTS

•Humanitarian aid starts reaching thousands of people affected by fighting in Jebel Amir, North Darfur

•More than 15,000 people have been displaced from Jebel Marra area and West Darfur over the past few weeks, according to HAC and other agencies.

•Over 2,000 people flee their homes following inter-tribal clashes in Fula, South Kordofan.