Overview

Conflict in Jonglei State broke out in late December 2013, only days after the current conflict began in Juba. Since then, the state has been one of the worst affected by the conflict, and currently hosts the second highest reported numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country. Many areas in Jonglei are largely inaccessible to humanitarian actors due to insecurity and logistical constraints. As a result, only limited information is available on the humanitarian situation outside major displacement sites.

In order to fill such information gaps and facilitate humanitarian planning, in late 2015, REACH piloted its Area of Origin (AoO) methodology, which takes a territorybased approach that may cover several bomas, to collect data in hard-to-reach areas of Unity State. The pilot was expanded to Jonglei State in March 2016, with data collected in Bor Town, Bor PoC site and Akobo in Jonglei State. Data is also collected from Mingkaman in Lakes State and the PoC sites in Juba.

In December 2016, REACH decided to refine the methodology, moving from the AoO to the Area of Knowledge (AoK) methodology, an approach collecting information at the settlement level. The most recent OCHA Common Operational Dataset (COD) released in February 2016 has been used as the reference for settlement names and locations. Through AoK, REACH collects data from a network of Key Informants (KIs) who have sector-specific knowledge and gain information from regular direct or indirect contact, or recent displacement.
Data collected is aggregated to the settlement level and all percentiles presented in this factsheet, unless otherwise specified, represent percent of settlements within Jonglei with that specific response. The displacement section on page 2 refers to the proportion of assessed KIs arrived within the previous month (newly arrived IDPs).

Although current AoK coverage is still limited and its findings not statistically significant, it provides an indicative understanding of the needs and current humanitarian situation in assessed areas of Jonglei State.

Overview

Conflict in Unity State broke out in late December 2013, only days after the current conflict began in Juba. Since then, the state has been one of the worst affected by the conflict, and currently hosts the highest reported numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country. Many areas in Unity are largely inaccessible to humanitarian actors due to insecurity and logistical constraints. As a result, only limited information is available on the humanitarian situation outside major displacement sites.
In order to fill such information gaps and facilitate humanitarian planning, in late 2015, REACH piloted its Area of Origin (AoO) methodology, which takes a territorybased approach that may cover several bomas, to collect data in hard-to-reach areas of Unity State. The pilot began in Bentiu PoC site in December 2015, and was expanded to Nyal in June 2016 in order to interview new arrivals as they were displaced from recent fighting.

In December 2016, REACH refined the methodology moving from the AoO to the Area of Knowledge (AoK) methodology, an approach collecting information at the settlement level. The most recent OCHA Common Operational Dataset (COD) released in February 2016 has been used as the reference for settlement names and locations.

Through AoK, REACH collects data from a network of Key Informants (KIs) who have sector-specific knowledge and gain the information from regularly traveling to and from the settlement, direct or indirect contact with people in the settlement, or recent displacement.

Data collected is aggregated to the settlement level and all percentiles presented in this factsheet, unless otherwise specified, represent percent of settlements within Unity with that specific response. The displacement section on page 2 refers to the proportion of assessed KIs arrived within the previous month (newly arrived IDPs).

Although current AoK coverage is still limited and its findings not statistically significant, it provides an indicative understanding of the needs and current humanitarian situation in assessed areas of Unity State.

BONN – A compelling new report about the impact of climate change on global food security has been launched by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Government of Sweden.

How Climate Change Drives Hunger was unveiled today at the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference - known as COP23 - which is being held in Bonn, Germany.

The risk of hunger could increase by up to 20 percent due to climate change by 2050 unless increased efforts are made to enable the world’s most vulnerable communities to better adapt to extreme weather events such as drought and flooding. Drawing on such findings by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, the report offers a wide-ranging review of multiple analyses into the impact of climate change on food security by WFP and partners.

“Climate change disproportionally affects the poorest and most food insecure people,” said Gernot Laganda, Director of WFP Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Programmes, at the launch of the report. “Floods, storms and droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense, which is changing the way humanitarian organisations need to operate in the future. Understanding the way climate risks play out at country level is critical for effective response planning, but also helps us anchor community-based prevention and adaptation activities in country strategic plans. If countries remain stuck in a pattern of repetitive crisis response, but lack the planning and financing tools to take a more forward-looking approach to risk management, we will never achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of a world with zero hunger by 2030.”

Research for the report was undertaken by WFP under the Climate Adaptation Management and Innovation Initiative (C-ADAPT), launched in 2013 and funded by the Swedish Government. The assembled material provides an overview of major climate change and food security challenges, while outlining key policy and programming options available to governments and their partners. Country-specific analysis focuses on 15 nations that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mali, Nepal, Philippines, Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Timor Leste and Uganda.

# # #

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media

For more information, contact:
Gernot Laganda, WFP Rome, email gernot.laganda@wfp.org and mobile +39 3927630802
Giorgia Pergolini, WFP Rome, email giorgia.pergolini@wfp.org and mobile +39 3403485998
Rouven Brunnert, WFP Berlin, rouven.brunnert@wfp.org +49 15119721003

Overview

By October 2017, the cluster has reached 76% of the total Humanitarian Response Plan Target. During the month of August, more than 45,000 affected populations was reached, mainly in Jonglei and Upper Nile State. In Jonglei State most of the focus of the cluster operations was distributions of Non-Food Items to newly displaced IDPs in areas around Ayod, Uror and Waat. Some protracted population in Fangak were also recipients of Shelter/NFI services. In Upper Nile, partners have been supporting distributions in Ulang County and also around Jikow Area. While the assessment to Jikow showed urgent needs, the partners, in coordination with other clusters, are planning how to operationalize a response in such a severe challenging area in terms of logistics and protection. Likewise, partners based out of Wau keep gaining slow but gradual access to the Greater Bagari, where urgent multi-sectorial needs have been reported for months.

SC/13067

SECURITY COUNCIL
8101ST MEETING (AM)

The Security Council decided this morning to extend until 15 April 2018 the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and to limit support for the disputed territory’s border monitoring mechanism to a further five months, while awaiting implementation of measures agreed by Sudan and South Sudan.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2386 (2017), the Council also decided to maintain UNISFA’s authorized troop ceiling at 4,791, after which it would decrease to 4,235 unless the Council decided to extend the mission’s support for the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism.

The Council warned, however, that there would be no further extensions of that Mechanism’s mandate unless the parties — no later than 15 March — facilitated full freedom of movement for UNISFA, opened the first phase of the border‑crossing corridor, met to discuss border demarcation and the so‑called “14‑Mile” disputed area, cooperated in opening the Mechanism’s team sites and convened meetings of the required Joint Political and Security Mechanism to resolve such issues. The Council requested that the Secretary‑General submit a written assessment of actions taken to fulfil those requirements by 1 April 2018.

Speaking after the vote, the representative of the United States welcomed the mandate extensions, but expressed regret at the lack of progress on implementing agreements, including those related to the Mechanism, which had not functioned properly in the past six years. Recalling previous warnings that support would be withdrawn unless progress was accelerated, she emphasized that the Security Council could not provide resources to initiatives with which the parties themselves were not cooperating. She cited delays in granting UNISFA access to helipads and the presence of police in areas that they were prohibited from entering as examples of that lack of cooperation.

Ethiopia’s representative, also welcoming the adoption, said he would have liked to see the mandate renewed as a whole since support to the Mechanism was integral to UNISFA. Its presence had kept the peace in the Abyei area, although it fell far short of the terms to which the parties had agreed. Hopefully, momentum from recent bilateral summit meetings would foster more progress, allowing UNISFA to build further on its accomplishments.

OMER DAHAB FADL MOHAMED (Sudan) paid tribute to UNISFA for having maintained peace in Abyei, underlining that his country had never opposed implementation of obligations relating to the Joint Monitoring and Verification Mechanism. There was, therefore, no reason to cease the mission’s operations. Recounting the recent summit meeting where the leaders of the two countries had discussed the issue, he called upon South Sudan to accelerate its support for the establishment of all Abyei institutions, as agreed.

In relation to the police unit that had secured oil facilities, he explained that it had been necessitated by the presence of armed groups and by the absence of a joint security force. If the implementation of agreements were completed, there would be no need for such deployments. He reiterated his country’s commitment to cooperating with UNISFA in fulfilling all its tasks, under the overall objective of maintaining the current peace until a final status agreement was reached.

AKUEI BONA MALWAL (South Sudan) also welcomed the extension of UNISFA’s mandate, hailing its accomplishments as well as Ethiopia’s contributions to the Force. “This extension comes at a time when the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan, through their leaderships, renewed their resolves in solving any outstanding differences within the agreed channels established,” he said. Hopefully, through the mandate extension, the people of Abyei would hopefully realize lasting peace as a permanent settlement was sought under the auspices of the African Union High‑Level Implementation Panel.

The meeting began at 10:03 a.m. and ended at 10:24 a.m.

Resolution

The full text of resolution 2386 (2017) reads as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Recalling its previous resolutions and its presidential statements on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan, and in particular, resolutions 1990 (2011), 2024 (2011), 2032 (2011), 2046 (2012), 2047 (2012), 2075 (2012), 2104 (2013), 2126 (2013), 2156 (2014), 2179 (2014), 2205 (2015), 2230 (2015), 2251 (2015), 2287 (2016), 2318 (2016), and 2352 (2017) as well as presidential statements S/PRST/2012/19 and S/PRST/2013/14, and the Council’s press statements of 18 June 2012, 21 September 2012, 28 September 2012, 6 May 2013, 14 June 2013, 14 February 2014, 17 March 2014, 11 December 2014, and 27 November 2015,

“Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan and South Sudan, and to the purposes and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and recalling the importance of the principles of good neighbourliness, non-interference and regional cooperation,

“Reiterating that the territorial boundaries of States shall not be altered by force, and that any territorial disputes shall be settled exclusively by peaceful means, affirming the priority it attaches to the full and urgent implementation of all outstanding issues from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and underscoring that the future status of Abyei shall be resolved by negotiations between the parties in a manner consistent with the CPA and not by the unilateral actions of either party,

“Recalling the commitments made by the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan in the 20 June 2011 Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area, the 29 June 2011 Agreement between the Government of the Sudan and the Government of South Sudan on Border Security and the Joint Political and Security Mechanism (JPSM), and the 30 July 2011 Agreement on the Border Monitoring Support Mission between the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan, as well as the 27 September 2012 Agreements on Cooperation and Security Arrangements, the JPSM’s 8 March 2013 decision, and the Implementation Matrix of 12 March 2013, reached by the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), as well as the extraordinary meetings of the JPSM in October 2015 and May 2017 and the ordinary session of the JPSM in June 2016 and October 2017,

“Encouraging progress on improving bilateral relations between Sudan and South Sudan, and stressing the need for regular meetings of the JPSM and other joint mechanisms, including the Joint Border Commission and Joint Demarcation Committee, to enable dialogue and coordination on matters of border security, and recognizing cooperation between Sudan and South Sudan on refugees, humanitarian corridors, and trade,

“Urging the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to reinvigorate progress towards implementing the Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area as set out in the 20 June 2011 Agreement,

“Expressing its full support for the efforts of the African Union on the situation between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan, in order to ease the current tension, facilitate the resumption of negotiations on post-secession relations and the normalization of their relations, and stressing the importance of the African Union’s continued engagement,

“Reaffirming its previous resolutions 1265 (1999), 1296 (2000), 1674 (2006), 1738 (2006), 1894 (2009) 2175 (2014) and 2222 (2015) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict; 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011), 2068 (2012), 2143 (2014) and 2223 (2015) on children and armed conflict; 1502 (2003) on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel; and 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), and 2242 (2015) on women, peace and security,

“Stressing the need for effective human rights monitoring and reporting, including of any sexual and gender-based violence and violations and abuses committed against women and children, taking note that there have been no developments with regard to the operationalization of human rights monitoring in the Abyei Area, and reiterating its concern at the lack of cooperation by the parties with the Secretary-General to this end,

“Recalling that its resolution 2086 (2013) reiterates the importance, when establishing and renewing the mandates of United Nations Missions, of including provisions on the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women in post-conflict situations and on children and armed conflict, and emphasizing that persistent barriers to full implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and subsequent resolutions on women, peace, and security, including 2242 (2015), will only be dismantled through dedicated commitment to women’s empowerment, participation, and human rights, and through concerted leadership, consistent information and action, and support, to build women’s engagement in all levels of decision-making,

“Acknowledging the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan’s acceptance at the 13–14 October 2015 JPSM meeting of the map presented by the AUHIP in November 2011 relating to the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ), their agreement that the centreline is only the location of the separation line between armed forces, as well as the parties’ agreement to activate all mechanisms relating to the JPSM as provided for in relevant agreements, and encouraging the parties to delineate or agree on the coordinates of, and demilitarize the SDBZ, including the “14 Mile Area”, and to fully implement the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), in accordance with Security Council resolution 2046 (2012) and the AUPSC Roadmap of 24 April 2012, and underlining the importance of fully establishing and maintaining effective JBVMM monitoring of the SDBZ, including the “14 Mile Area”, and further urging the parties to cooperate in allowing the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to fulfill its responsibility to provide security for the JBVMM’s mission to monitor the SDBZ,

“Recalling its decision in resolution 2352 (2017) to end the mandate for support to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) unless both parties demonstrate through their actions clear commitment and steadfast guarantees for the implementation of the JBVMM, in line with steps outlined in paragraph 7 of resolution 2352 (2017), including resuming border demarcation discussions, holding regular meetings of the JPSM, and granting UNISFA full freedom of movement,

“Recognizing some progress by the parties since May 2017 but regretting the lack of significant concrete progress made by both parties on achieving the benchmarks for the JBVMM and the unnecessary impediments imposed upon the JBVMM, reducing its ability to effectively monitor the SDBZ,

“Noting with concern the absence of local institutions to manage the Abyei Area and encouraging continued progress in convening Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) meetings,

“Recognizing the importance of regular dialogue between the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan, recalling the United Nations Security Council decision in resolution 2046 (2012) that the parties must resume immediately negotiations to reach agreement on Abyei’s final status under the auspices of the AUHIP, calling upon all parties to engage constructively in the process mediated by the AUHIP towards final agreement on the final status of the Abyei Area, and stressing that the parties must immediately implement pending aspects of the 20 June 2011 Agreement, in particular to resolve the dispute over the Abyei Area Agreement, and to resolve the dispute over the Abyei Area Council, and immediately establish the Abyei Area Administration and Abyei Police Service,

“Stressing that both countries and communities will have much to gain if they show restraint and choose the path of dialogue instead of resorting to violence or provocations,

“Commending the continued assistance provided to the parties by the AUHIP, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan and South Sudan, and UNISFA,

“Further commending the efforts of UNISFA in effectively carrying out its mandate, including by its ongoing facilitation of peaceful migration throughout the Abyei Area, conflict prevention, mediation and deterrence, and expressing its deep appreciation for the work of the troop-contributing countries, and strongly underscoring the unacceptability of any attack on United Nations personnel, including the firing on UNISFA patrols in early 2017 by unknown assailants, and reiterating that such attacks should be swiftly and thoroughly investigated, and that those responsible should be held to account,

“Taking note of the security situation in the Abyei Area as characterized by the 17 October 2017 Secretary-General’s report (S/2017/870), and acknowledging UNISFA’s contribution to enhanced peace and stability since its deployment and expressing its determination to prevent the recurrence of violence against or displacements of civilians and to avert intercommunal conflict,

“Reiterating its deep concern regarding the public administration and rule of law vacuum in the Abyei Area, due to continued delays in the establishment of the Abyei Area Administration and Council and Police, including a special unit to deal with particular issues related to nomadic migration, which are essential to maintain law and order and prevent intercommunal conflict in Abyei, and in this regard, welcoming UNISFA’s efforts to support and strengthen community protection committees, and to continue engaging with both governments on this issue,

“Noting with concern the continued delay in establishing the temporary institutions and resolving the final status of Abyei and that the continued threat of intercommunal violence contributes to heightened tensions in the Abyei Area, including those ongoing tensions that prevent UNISFA’s and other agencies’ Sudanese staff from returning to Abyei,

“Urging all parties to refrain from any unilateral action that could aggravate intercommunal relations within the Abyei Area, expressing concern over the continued implications of what the AUPSC described in their 6 November 2013 press statement as “the decision by the Ngok Dinka to conduct a unilateral referendum” and also in this context, taking note that the Government of Sudan proceeded with its April 2015 national elections in Abyei,

“Bearing in mind the current humanitarian situation in which humanitarian actors continue to provide assistance to 100,000 people in the Abyei Area and the importance of coherence of United Nations assistance in the region, and further stressing the urgency of facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all affected populations,

“Affirming the importance of voluntary, safe, dignified return and sustainable reintegration of displaced persons, and of peaceful and orderly migration cycles respecting the traditional migratory routes from Sudan to South Sudan through Abyei, and urging UNISFA to continue to take measures as necessary to ensure security in the Abyei Area in accordance with its mandate,

“Recalling its resolution 2117 (2013), and expressing grave concern at the threat to peace and security in Abyei arising from the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, welcoming the completion of infrastructure, systems, and policy for weapons confiscation, storage and destruction, and calling on UNISFA to ensure adequate protection of this infrastructure,

“Expressing concern about the residual threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war in the Abyei Area, which hinders the safe return of displaced persons to their homes, safe migration, and livelihood activities,

“Taking note of the 28 July 2017 and 17 October 2017 Secretary-General’s reports (S/2017/649 and S/2017/870), including the Secretary-General’s call on the parties to consolidate the gains achieved by UNISFA at the local level by actively engaging in efforts to establish the Abyei Area Administration and Council, and to constitute the Abyei Area Police,

“Recalling that the Security Council welcomed in resolution 2205 (2015) the decision of the Secretary-General to appoint a civilian head of mission,

“Recognizing that the current situation in Abyei and along the border between the Sudan and South Sudan continues to constitute a serious threat to international peace and security,

“1. Decides to extend until 15 May 2018 the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) as set out in paragraph 2 of resolution 1990 (2011) and acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, further decides to extend until 15 May 2018 the tasks of UNISFA as set out in paragraph 3 of resolution 1990 (2011);

“2. Decides to extend until 15 April 2018 UNISFA’s mandate modification set forth in resolution 2024 (2011) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), and further decides that this shall be the final such extension unless the parties take the specific measures described in paragraph 9;

“3. Decides to maintain the authorized troop ceiling of 4,791 until 15 April 2018, and further decides that as of 15 April 2018, the authorized troop ceiling shall decrease to 4,235, unless it decides to extend the mandate modification set forth in resolution 2024 (2012) and paragraph 1 of resolution 2075 (2012), in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 9;

“4. Underscores that continued cooperation between the Government of Sudan and Government of South Sudan is also critical for peace, security and stability and the future relations between them;

“5. Further reiterates its demand that Sudan and South Sudan urgently commence the establishment of the Abyei Area Administration and Council, including by resolving the deadlock over the composition of the Council, and constitute the Abyei Police Service, to enable it to take over policing functions throughout the Abyei Area, including the protection of oil infrastructure, in accordance with their commitments in the 20 June 2011 Agreement;

“6. Urges the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to resume direct negotiations in order to urgently agree on a final settlement of the Abyei question, calls upon the parties to take concrete confidence-building measures to contribute to achieving this objective with renewed support from the AUHIP, encourages the AUHIP and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to continue coordinating efforts towards calling for full implementation of the 2011 agreements;

“7. Takes note of AJOC meetings in May and November 2017, urges the implementation of AJOC decisions and the 20 June 2011 Agreement, recalls the need for African Union initiatives to support this goal and encourages its renewed engagement, and requests the Secretary-General to provide an assessment of progress on these issues in his regular reports;

“8. Expresses serious concern regarding the delays to fully operationalize the JBVMM, recalls the Secretary-General’s benchmarks and recommendations regarding JBVMM operations, takes note that continued investment in achieving full operational capability of the JBVMM should be based on a set of conditions, including resolution of the dispute over the SDBZ, and calls upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan to make timely and effective use of the JBVMM, JPSM and other agreed joint mechanisms to ensure the security and transparency of the SDBZ, including the “14 Mile Area”;

“9. Determines to consider renewing UNISFA’s mandate to support the JBVMM should both parties adhere to the specific measures agreed to in the May and October 2017 JPSM communiques no later than 15 March 2018, to include completing inter alia:

(1) Facilitating the full freedom of movement for UNISFA air and ground patrols, to include landing within the SDBZ, by approving 100 percent of requested sorties no later than 72 hours after the requests are delivered,

(2) Opening of Phase I of the border crossing corridors,

(3) Holding at least one meeting to resume border demarcation discussions, including negotiations on the disputed areas within the framework of the signed agreements, welcomes the African Union Commission’s efforts in this regard and encourages its continued assistance to the parties,

(4) Reactivating the ad hoc committee of the 14 mile area,

(5) Facilitating the operationalization of the four JBVMM team sites, and,

(6) Convening at least two meetings of the JPSM to resolve these issues;

“10. Urges renewed efforts to determine conclusively the SDBZ centreline on the ground, and reiterates that the centreline of the SDBZ in no way prejudices the current or future legal status of the border, ongoing negotiations on the disputed and claimed areas, and demarcation of the borders;

“11. Underscores that UNISFA’s protection of civilians mandate as set out in paragraph 3 of resolution 1990 (2011) includes taking the necessary actions to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, irrespective of the source of such violence, and commending UNISFA’s efforts in that regard;

“12. Condemns the intermittent presence of South Sudan security service personnel and the deployment of Diffra Oil Police units in the Abyei Area, in violation of the 20 June 2011 Agreement, as well as any entry of armed militias into the territory, and reiterates its demands that immediately and without preconditions the Government of South Sudan fully redeploy its security service personnel from the Abyei Area and that the Government of Sudan redeploy the Oil Police in Diffra from the Abyei Area, and further reiterates, in accordance with relevant resolutions, in particular resolution 1990 (2011) and resolution 2046 (2012), that the Abyei Area shall be demilitarized from any forces, as well as armed elements of the local communities, other than UNISFA and the Abyei Police Service;

“13. Supports the AJOC’s 3 May 2013 and 30 March 2015 decisions on Abyei’s status as a weapons-free area, underscores the AUPSC’s concern in its 7 May 2013 Communiqué over reports that various communities living in Abyei are heavily armed, recalls that the 20 June 2011 Agreement on Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area stipulates that Abyei should be a weapons-free area and that only UNISFA is authorized to carry weapons inside the area, and in this regard, urges the two Governments to take all necessary steps to ensure that Abyei is effectively demilitarized, including through disarmament programs as necessary;

“14. Reaffirms that UNISFA may undertake weapons confiscation and destruction in the Abyei Area as authorized under resolution 1990 (2011), consistent with its mandate and within its existing capabilities, in coordination with the signatories of the June 2011 Agreement on the Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area, the AJOC, and the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities and consistent with the previous AJOC decision to establish the Area as a “weapons free area”, and reiterates its request that UNISFA, observe, document and report on the movement of weapons into Abyei and the presence, destruction and confiscation of weapons within Abyei as part of the Secretary-General’s regular reporting cycle;

“15. Requests UNISFA to continue its dialogue with the AJOC and with the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities on effective strategies and oversight mechanisms for ensuring full compliance by all relevant parties with Abyei’s status as a weapons-free area, with a particular priority placed on the urgent elimination of heavy or crew-served weapons, as well as rocket-propelled grenades, and calls upon the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan, the AJOC, and the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities to extend full cooperation to UNISFA in this regard;

“16. Urges the two Governments immediately to take steps to implement confidence-building measures among the respective communities in the Abyei Area, ensuring women are involved at all stages, including through reconciliation processes at the grass-roots level as well as through support for the ongoing efforts of non-governmental organizations engaging in peacebuilding, and by fully supporting UNISFA’s efforts in promoting community dialogue, strongly welcomes continued engagement between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities, and strongly urges all Abyei communities to exercise maximum restraint in all their engagements and to desist from inflammatory acts or statements that may lead to violent clashes;

“17. Underscores that women’s participation at all levels of inter‑community dialogue is critical to ensure a credible and legitimate process and calls upon all parties to promote full and equal participation of women;

“18. Welcomes the positive developments at the grass-roots level between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities, particularly their noted commitment to reconciliation and cooperation, as demonstrated by the resumption of trading activities and the monitoring of stolen property and livestock, including the prompt return of or provision of compensation for stolen property to victims of crime;

“19. Welcomes UNISFA initiatives, to support community dialogue and efforts by the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities to strengthen inter-communal relationships and facilitate stability and reconciliation in the Abyei Area, including the facilitation of joint peace committee meetings between both communities and re-opening of a common market;

“20. Welcomes UNISFA’s continued efforts, within existing capabilities and resources, and in close coordination with the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities, to strengthen the capacities of Community Protection Committees in order to assist with management of law and order processes in Abyei and to continue engaging with both governments on this issue;

“21. Calls upon all parties to cooperate fully with the findings and recommendations following the Abyei Area Joint Investigation and Inquiry Committee’s investigation into the killing of a UNISFA peacekeeper and the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief, welcomes the 24 March 2015 AUPSC press statement requesting the AU Commission to engage the parties on the findings and recommendations, and reiterates the need to enable the two communities to find closure on the assassination of the Ngok Dinka Paramount Chief, bearing in mind the need to promote stability and reconciliation in the Abyei Area;

“22. Expresses its intention to continue reviewing as appropriate the mandate of UNISFA for possible reconfiguration of the force in light of the compliance by Sudan and South Sudan with the decisions set forth in resolution 2046 (2012) and their commitments as set forth in the Agreements of 20 June, 29 June, 30 July 2011 and 27 September 2012, including the redeployment of all forces from the SDBZ, achieving full operational capability for the JBVMM and the Ad Hoc Committees, as well as completing the full demilitarization of the Abyei Area;

“23. Calls upon all Member States, in particular Sudan and South Sudan, to ensure the free, unhindered and expeditious movement, to and from Abyei and throughout the SDBZ, of all personnel, as well as equipment, provisions, supplies and other goods, including vehicles, aircraft, and spare parts, which are for the exclusive and official use of UNISFA;

“24. Renews its call upon the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to provide full support to the United Nations, including by promptly issuing visas to military, police and civilian United Nations personnel, including humanitarian personnel, without prejudice to their nationality, for entry into Sudan and South Sudan, facilitating basing arrangements, infrastructure construction, including the Athony airport, in the Mission Area and flight clearances, and providing logistical support, calls upon the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to facilitate travel from within Sudan and South Sudan to and from Abyei, and further calls upon all parties to fully adhere to their obligations under the Status of Forces Agreements;

“25. Recognizes that the absence of development projects and the inability to deliver basic government services has had an adverse effect on Abyei populations and calls upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan, as well as donors to support reconstruction and capacity-building;

“26. Demands that the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan continue to facilitate the deployment of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) to ensure freedom of movement, as well as the identification and clearance of mines in the Abyei Area and SDBZ;

“27. Further demands that all parties involved allow all humanitarian personnel full, safe and unhindered access to civilians in need of assistance and all necessary facilities for their operations, in accordance with international law, including applicable international humanitarian law, and United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance;

“28. Strongly urges that all parties cease all forms of violence, human rights violations and abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, and violations and abuses against children in violation of applicable international law;

“29. Urges UNISFA to make rapid progress on deploying a Women and Child Protection Advisor;

“30. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that effective human rights monitoring is carried out, and the results included in his reports to the Council, and reiterates its call upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan to extend their full cooperation to the Secretary-General to this end, including by issuing visas to the concerned United Nations personnel;

“31. Recalls resolution 2272 (2016) and further requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures to ensure full compliance of UNISFA with the United Nations zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and to keep the Council fully informed through his regular country-specific reports to the Council about UNISFA’s progress in this regard, including with respect to the implementation of resolution 2272 (2016);

“32. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to inform the Council of progress in implementing UNISFA’s mandate, including reporting on any steps taken per paragraph 9, in one written report, no later than 1 April 2018 and continue to bring to the Council’s immediate attention any serious violations of the above referenced Agreements;

“33. Notes the Secretary-General’s efforts to ensure close cooperation among United Nations missions in the region, including UNISFA, the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), as well as his Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, and requests that he continue this practice;

883.5 M required for 2017

283.6 M contributions received, representing 32% of requirements

600.0 M funding gap for the South Sudan Situation

Brussels, 15 November 2017

In the run-up to the European Council in December, the Commission and the High Representative are today setting out the work still required to consolidate the positive results achieved over the past years.

With the total number of irregular crossings along the main migratory routes having decreased by 63% in 2017, collective efforts to protect the EU's external borders, cooperate with partner countries to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, improve the protection of migrants and win the fight against smugglers are showing concrete results. Looking ahead, and noting that external and internal engagements on migration are closely interlinked, the Commission and the High Representative are calling for further concerted action by the EU, Member States and partner countries to advance in parallel and to maintain the intensity of the EU's efforts on all fronts and thereby better manage migration together.

First Vice-President Frans **Timmermans** said: _"Since 2015, we have made real progress through our joint work to manage migration better in a comprehensive way. However, we are not there yet and this issue will stay with us for some time. So we must continue our comprehensive and joint efforts with even more energy and determination to consolidate our achievements and deliver the full European Agenda on Migration. Migration remains the top concern of our citizens and it should also remain our top priority."_

High Representative/Vice-President Federica **Mogherini** said: _“In the last two years, our energy has been dedicated to tackling, in a humane and effective way, one of the most challenging phenomena of our times. We have been supporting the IOM and UNHCR in helping people in distress and assisting voluntary return. We have put in place the External Investment Plan that will mobilise €40 billion in private investments. We have been working with our African friends in addressing the root causes of migration. Cooperation and partnership have always been and will remain our approach."_

Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris **Avramopoulos** said: _"We are exiting crisis mode gradually and we are now managing migration in a spirit of partnership and shared responsibility, inside and outside the EU. With over 34,400 new resettlement pledges received so far, I welcome the strong commitment shown by Member States to reduce irregular and dangerous routes and enhance safe and legal pathways, showing solidarity with host countries outside the EU."_

Addressing root causes and saving lives

Since September, the EU has continued to step up its support to address the root causes of migration:

• In Turkey, the EU is well on track to contract the €3 billion under the **Facility for Refugees **by the end of 2017. Since October, one million of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees now receive monthly electronic cash transfers.
• Two years after its launch, the **EU Trust Fund for Africa** is increasing stability and resilience by supporting economic development and migration management in countries facing crises of different natures and emergency situations, with programmes worth almost €2 billion having been approved so far.
• Increased focus has been put on improving the often appalling conditions faced by migrants in **Libya**, in close cooperation with the UNHCR, UNICEF and the IOM. Almost 4,000 migrants and more than 2,000 displaced Libyan families have received medical assistance and basic support, while medical help and assistance is being delivered to migrants, including in detention centres.

As well as addressing smuggling and saving lives in the desert and at sea:

• The EU Trust Fund for Africa supports work by the IOM and the Nigerien authorities to carry out **search and rescue missions** in the desert with over 1,100 migrants having been brought to safety after being abandoned by smugglers in 2017.
• Over 15,000 migrants, including over 10,000 from Libya, have already benefitted from **assisted voluntary return**, and projects are in development to step up work with Libya's neighbours to help more migrants return home from Libya.
• With 13 assets deployed, **EU operations Triton and Sophia** have continued to support Member States' actions at sea to save lives and apprehend suspected traffickers and smugglers. In Niger, EU support to the Nigerien authorities has led to the arrest of over 100 suspected traffickers and smugglers.*

EU solidarity and support with refugees and host countries

The **EU resettlement scheme** adopted in July 2015 is due to be successfully completed and resettlements under the **EU-Turkey Statement**are continuing at a steady pace – in total, **over 25,700** persons have been resettled since the launch of the schemes. In September, the Commission launched a **new scheme **to resettle at least 50,000 of the most vulnerable refugees, in particular along the Central Mediterranean route, by October 2019. So far, over **34,400 pledges **have been received from 16 Member States.

Two years on, and with only around 750 persons in Greece and 3,100 in Italy left to relocate, the **EU relocation scheme** is successfully coming to an end. **Over 31,500 persons** have been relocated so far. Whilst almost all Member States have respected their legal obligations, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland have so far not taken any measure to address the grievances included in the Commission's reasoned opinion from July – the infringement procedures therefore remain ongoing.

Delivering on return and readmission

With the conclusion of an agreement on **Standard Operating Procedures** on return with **Bangladesh** in September, progress has been made on a key element of the EU's approach to better managing migration. The EU will continue pursuing **structured practical cooperation**with other key countries under this new approach. Engagement with Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Mali will be stepped up, and the ongoing readmission negotiations with Nigeria and Tunisia should be finalised as soon as possible.

By November, new operational steps to support Member States on return operations will be put forward by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which will be serving as a focal point on return at EU level.

Next steps towards a stronger, more effective and fairer EU migration and asylum policy

For the **Africa Trust Fund** to continue supporting programmes, in particular in Libya and North Africa, Member States need to increase their financial contributions.

On **resettlement**, Member States should continue pledging to reach the target of at least 50,000 places in order to start the planning of concrete resettlement processes, including supporting the evacuation mechanism from Libya in cooperation with UNHCR, and endorse the Standard Operating Procedures for the Voluntary Humanitarian Admissions Scheme, finalised by the Commission and Turkey.

With **return** rates at EU level remaining unsatisfactory, this is an area which requires the commitment of all to ensure concrete progress is made. For their part, Member States are asked to collect and provide better data on returns to enable a better assessment of the effectiveness of returns and where the assistance of the of the European Border and Coast Guard could usefully contribute. The EU should also continue collectively exploring the mobilisation of all incentives and leverages to achieve progress on return, as endorsed by the European Council.

Under the **EU-Turkey Statement**, the Greek authorities need to step up the efforts and provide adequate resources to ensure effective returns to Turkey and deliver on this key element of the Statement. Only 1,969 returns have been carried out so far since March 2016.

Background

Upon taking office, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker entrusted a Commissioner with special responsibility for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, to work together with the other Commissioners, under the coordination of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, on a new policy on migration as one of the 10 priorities of the Political Guidelines of the Juncker Commission.

On 13 May 2015, the European Commission proposed a far-reaching strategy, through the European Agenda on Migration, to tackle the immediate challenges of the ongoing crisis, as well as to equip the EU with the tools to better manage migration in the medium and long term, in the areas of irregular migration, borders, asylum and legal migration.

Today's Communication presents the developments since early September and identifies key current issues requiring particular attention. It brings together, for the first time, the different work streams of the progress reports on the EU-Turkey Statement, Relocation and Resettlement, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the Partnership Framework with third countries into a in a single report reflecting the comprehensive nature of the work to deliver the European Agenda on Migration,

For More Information

Progress Report on the European Agenda on Migration

    Annex 1: EU Trust Fund for Africa

    Annex 2: Joint Action Plan on the Implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement

    Annex 3: Facility for Refugees in Turkey

    Annex 4: European Border and Coast Guard

    Annex 5: Returns

    Annex 6: Relocation

    Annex 7: Resettlement  

Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council - Progress report on the European Agenda on Migration

Factsheet: Resettlement – Ensuring safe and legal access to protection for refugees

Factsheet: Relocation – EU solidarity between Member States

Factsheet: Central Mediterranean Route

Factsheet: The European Border and Coast Guard Agency

Factsheet: Towards a more efficient and credible EU return policy

Factsheet: Financial support to Greece

Factsheet: Financial support to Italy

Factsheet: EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa

Factsheet: The EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey

#MigrationEU 

-This information was updated on 15 November.

IP/17/4484

Press contacts:

• Natasha BERTAUD (+32 2 296 74 56)
• Tove ERNST (+32 2 298 67 64)
• Catherine RAY (+32 2 296 99 21)
• Esther OSORIO (+32 2 296 20 76)

General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email

In October, 1,593 South Sudanese refugees were biometrically registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); an increase compared to the previous month (1,074).

A primary school and health post were inaugurated at the Biringi refugee site and handed over to the local authorities. These infrastructures will serve the refugees as well as the host community.

Construction works began at the recently allocated Kaka refugee site near the town of Dungu (Haut-Uélé province).

KEY INDICATORS

87,019 South Sudanese refugees registered or pre-registered as of 31th October 2017

53% Women and girls

64% Children below the age of 18 years

32,063 Refugees living in the refugee sites of Meri and Biringi as of 31th October 2017

FUNDING (AS OF 26 SEPTEMBER 2017)
USD 31.8 M requested for the DRC - South Sudanese refugee situation

Update on Achievements

Operational Context

Latest development

• Civil war in South Sudan continued to trigger displacement to DRC’s Haut-Uélé and Ituri provinces where UNHCR and its government partner registered asylum seekers at the Meri and Biringi refugee sites.

• In view of the volatile security situation in the border areas of the Aru territory (Ituri province), the Congolese National Police reinforced their presence on the axis Ariwara - Ingbokolo - Kengezi Base. UNHCR’s partners maintained their presence in the border areas to inform asylum seekers of the possibility of relocation to the Biringi site and to organize the transfer. The security situation in the Aru territory had no significant impact on UNHCR and its partners’ operations.

• UNHCR’s access to a considerable number of refugees and asylum seekers in the border areas of the Dungu territory (Haut-Uélé province) remained very limited due to ongoing activities by armed groups, including the Lord’s Resistance Army. UNHCR provided direct assistance to the refugees in and around the town of Dungu, while its partners assisted persons of concern in Duru, Bitima, Mogoroko and Doruma

Funding update

• UNHCR’s response to the South Sudanese refugee situation in DRC remained severely underfunded at 21% of the total requirement of USD 31.8 m. Funding constraints strongly impacted the provision of all basic services, including shelter, education, water and sanitation, nutrition and healthcare services.

The following information provides a snapshot of some of the activities undertaken by IOM offices in the East and Horn of Africa Region during October 2017.

Highlights:

• Vulnerable families in Lainya, Central Equatoria, receive relief assistance

• PoC sites to benefit from comprehensive HV and AIDS services

IOM DISTRIBUTES RELIEF ITEMS TO VULNERABLE FAMILIES IN LAINYA, CENTRAL EQUATORIA

IOM distributed essential relief items to over 3,400 vulnerable households in South Sudan’s Lainya County. The distribution included blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, cooking sets, bags, plastic sheeting, household water treatment supplies, buckets, collapsible jerry cans and soap.

Thousands had fled Lainya,and neighbouring areas in 2016 as fighting spread south from the country’s capital, Juba, toward the Equatoria region. While many people crossed the border to refugee camps in neighbouring Uganda, thousands fled to remote areas within South Sudan.

The distribution followed an IOM and partners-led mission in August, which verified reports of increased returns to the area. As their confidence in the security situation in Lainya improved, displaced people gradually started to return to the County.

August’s rapid assessment identified immense needs among those returning. South Sudanese returning from Uganda often walk for five days and have few belongings. Whilst those displaced within Sudan fled; leaving behind their belongings. Displaced families reported that their homes had been looted during the clashes.

Many of the displaced people reported that they missed the first distribution in July due to security concerns.

IOM ROLLS OUT COMPREHENSIVE HIV AND AIDS SERVICES AT POC SITES

Thousands now have access to HIV and AIDS counselling, testing, and treatment in South Sudan since IOM completed the roll-out of comprehensive HIV services at the Bentiu, Malakal and Wau Protection of Civilian (PoC) sites. In October 2017, an estimated 171,000 people, within PoCs and the host community, benefited from these services.

In 2016, HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis were among the leading causes of mortality in the PoC sites, where people are often unable to access health facilities outside the sites due to protection concerns or destruction of public infrastructure.

Ensuring access to quality health care services for internally displaced people is crucial to the development of South Sudan, as they are among the key populations considered to be at higher risk of HIV/AIDS.

Abidjan, 16 November, 2017 - A newly released nutrition report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa has revealed that undernutrition is still persistent in the region and the number of stunted children has increased. The Africa Nutrition Report, launched today in Abidjan, Ivory Coast also indicates that a growing number of children under five years old are overweight. The Report describes the current status in relation to six global nutrition targets that member states have committed to achieve by 2025, and underscores findings from the recently released Global Nutrition Report.

The nutrition targets call for a 40 percent reduction in the number of children under-five who are stunted, 50 percent reduction of anaemia in women of reproductive age, 30 percent reduction in low birth weight, no increase in childhood overweight, increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding to at least 50 percent and reducing wasting to less than 5 percent.

The Report, the first of its kind by WHO in the African region uses data from national surveys of forty-seven countries dating as far back as 2000, as well as joint malnutrition estimates published annually by UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank. It raises the alarm on critical gaps in the nutrition data available across the countries. For 19 out of the 47 countries, the ‘current’ nutrition data reflects the situation in 2012 or earlier. In two countries, the most recent surveys pre-date 2000.

According to the WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Matshidiso Moeti, “The numbers and trends highlighted in the report show that we need to work harder to avoid the long-term consequences of malnutrition and poor health on our children’s future prosperity, including the increased risk of diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.” She added that the Report underscores the need to work harder on collecting and using accurate data given that nutrition information available for most countries is more than five years old, and the use of routine data for nutrition monitoring is extremely limited.

The Report points out that while the prevalence of stunting decreased between 2000 and 2016, the absolute numbers of stunted children are in fact increasing: from 50.4 million in 2000 to 58.5 million in 2016. Stunting, or impaired growth and development happens when children experience poor nutrition, disease and lack of psychosocial stimulation. It typically occurs before a child reaches the age of two, and the long-term consequences include poor school performance, low adult wages, lost productivity and increased risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases in adults.

Lead author of the Report, Dr. Adelheid Onyango, who is WHO Africa’s Adviser for Nutrition, says while overweight rates in children might still be low, the proportion and numbers are increasing in all age groups. Among adults for example, overweight, including obesity, affects about one in three women, with rates of over 40 percent in Gabon, Ghana and Lesotho.

According to Dr Felicitas Zawaira, Director of WHO-AFRO’s Family and Reproductive Health, Malnutrition, beyond its obvious physical and development impacts also harms economic growth: worldwide, between 3 to 16 percent of GDP is lost annually due to stunting alone.

Wasting, or low-weight compared to the height of a child, is a strong predictor of mortality among children under five. The Report finds that many countries in the African region still have wasting rates above the target of 5 percent or below, and persistent famine, flooding, and civil crises in some countries pose enduring challenges to meeting the target. Only 17 countries have so-called “acceptable” levels of wasting, below 5 percent, while 19 have poor prevalence (5 to 9 percent). Six countries have rates between 10 to 14 percent, representing a serious public health emergency, and three countries exceed the 15 percent critical public health emergency threshold (Eritrea 15.3 percent, Niger 18.7 percent, and South Sudan 22.7 percent).

Joint UNICEF, WHO and World Bank 2016 estimates show that the number of overweight children in Africa increased by more than 50 percent between 2000 and 2015. The Report found that 24 countries have rates between 3 and 10 percent; above this range are Algeria (12.4 percent), Botswana (11.2 percent), Comoros (10.9 percent), Seychelles (10.2 percent), and South Africa (10.9 percent).

“African Governments can, and should, take measures to prevent and reduce undernutrition by creating favourable environments for improved infant and young child feeding, improved water supplies and sanitation, and offering healthier foods in schools among other measures,” said Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Nutrition Department at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva. Dr Branca emphasized the need to reduce consumption of refined carbohydrates and foods high in sugars and fat, which can be achieved by making sugary drinks less affordable and less appealing through taxation, labelling, and changing marketing practices.

For more information, please contact:
Maureen Nkandu
Regional Communication Manager
WHO Regional Office for Africa
Tel: +47 24139982
Email: nkandum@who.int

Since June 2016, Western Bahr el Ghazal has experienced multiple incidents of intense conflict in areas of Wau town, and the surrounding areas of Jur river, Wau and Raga counties. Many areas in Western Bahr el Ghazal are largely inaccessible to humanitarian actors due to insecurity and logistical constraints. As a result, only limited information is available on the humanitarian situation outside major displacement sites in Wau town.

In order to fill such information gaps and facilitate humanitarian planning, in late 2015, REACH piloted its Area of Origin (AoO) methodology, which takes a territorybased approach that may cover several bomas, to collect data in hard-to-reach areas of Unity State. In December 2016, REACH decided to refine the methodology, moving from the AoO to the Area of Knowledge (AoK) methodology, an approach collecting information at the settlement level. The most recent OCHA Common Operational Dataset (COD) released in February 2016 has been used as the reference for settlement names and locations. Through AoK, REACH collects data from a network of Key Informants (KIs) who have sector-specific knowledge and gain information from regular direct or indirect contact, or recent displacement.

Using this new methodology, in April 2017, REACH has collected information on Western Bahr el Ghazal through KIs in Wau PoC site as well as Wau informal settlements.
Data collected is aggregated to the settlement level and all percentiles presented in this factsheet, unless otherwise specified, represent percent of settlements within Western Bahr el Ghazal with that specific response. The displacement section on page 2 refers to the proportion of assessed KIs arrived within the previous month (newly arrived IDPs).

Although current AoK coverage is still limited and its findings not statistically significant, it provides an indicative understanding of the needs and current humanitarian situation in assessed areas of Western Bahr el Ghazal State.

• Aunque en junio el país dio por concluida técnicamente la situación de hambruna (la forma más extrema de hambre) declarada cuatro meses antes en dos estados, la situación sigue siendo desesperante en gran parte del país.

• El número de personas que necesitan asistencia de emergencia se ha duplicado desde el año pasado.

• En respuesta a una nueva alerta mundial de la Clasificación de Fase para la Seguridad Alimentaria Integrada* (IPC, por sus siglas en inglés), lanzada esta semana, desde Acción contra el Hambre hacemos un llamamiento de urgencia para que los líderes políticos acaben con esta crisis propulsada por el conflicto en Sudán del Sur.

Madrid, 16 de noviembre de 2017

Ya no hay hambruna en los dos estados donde se declaró a principios de este año, pero ahora la inseguridad alimentaria aguda afecta a 1,4 millones de personas más que en el mismo momento del año pasado. Se trataba de la primera hambruna (la clasificación extrema del hambre con indicadores técnicos como más del 30% de desnutrición aguda entre la población o una mortalidad superior a 2 persona sobre 10 000 al día) oficialmente declaraba desde 2011.

“Nos encontramos ante niveles de emergencia (Fase 4 la clasificación internacional de seguridad alimentaria (IPC), siendo el 5 el nivel de hambruna) precisamente en partes del país que son estables, que no han sido afectadas directamente por el conflicto armado”, apunta Guy Halsey, director nacional de Acción contra el Hambre en Sudán del Sur. De acuerdo con la alerta del IPC, lanzada hace unos días, en el peor de los escenarios, en 2018 es posible que se produzca de nuevo una hambruna en múltiples lugares en todo el país.

“Los picos estacionales, o incluso las disminuciones, en los niveles de hambre en diferentes partes del país no son inusuales”, continúa Guy Halsey. “Pero lo que estamos viendo es devastador. La prevalencia de la desnutrición aguda ha excedido el umbral de emergencia en todo el país. La persistencia del conflicto, agravado por la inestabilidad económica y el cambio climático, han erosionado los medios de subsistencia de la población y ha obligado a millones de personas a huir.”

La alerta del IPC, que se ha hecho pública por el Gobierno de Sudán del Sur, varias agencias de las Naciones Unidas y socios humanitarios, entre los que se incluye Acción contra el Hambre, advierte que el 45 por ciento de la población de Sudán del Sur hará frente a una situación de inseguridad alimentaria severa durante la temporada de cosecha de octubre a diciembre, cuando la comida suele ser más abundante. Se tme que la estación del hambre (el período entre cosechas, cuando los suministros de alimentos escasean) comience tres meses antes de lo habitual, con lo que se adelantaría a principios de 2018, poniendo a la población, ya vulnerable, en un riesgo aún mayor.

Evitar la hambruna depende de la ayuda internacional… y del fin del conflicto

“La intensificación de la asistencia humanitaria internacional tras la declaración de hambruna a principios de este año mejoró la seguridad alimentaria y salvó las vidas de los niños con desnutrición en las áreas de Unity, Jonglei y Northern Bahr el Ghazal, que entonces eran el foco de preocupación”, señala Halsey. “El progreso conseguido es muy frágil y depende de la asistencia humanitaria. Necesitamos recursos no solo para proporcionar un tratamiento que salve vidas a los niños con desnutrición aguda, sino también para abordar las causas subyacentes del hambre. Las personas necesitan ayuda para reconstruir sus medios de subsistencia y que el acceso a alimentos asequibles, el cuidado de la salud, agua potable y saneamiento, estén todos garantizados a largo plazo.”

“El preocupante déficit en la financiación de la respuesta humanitaria internacional ha provocado demoras, una cobertura limitada de los servicios y escasez de artículos de emergencia esenciales. De hecho, la financiación de las emergencias humanitarias suele enfocarse en el corto plazo y no permite una programación sostenida que ayude a las comunidades a recuperarse, en Sudán del Sur o en otros países que atraviesan graves crisis.” La movilización de recursos para intervenciones inmediatas que salvan vidas y los esfuerzos de recuperación a más largo plazo en Sudán del Sur son prioridades urgentes, pero existe una necesidad aún más urgente de soluciones políticas viables para poner fin a la crisis.

“Los esfuerzos humanitarios han evitado que la gente sufra una catástrofe y aliviar el sufrimiento”, afirma Hajir Maalim, director regional de Acción contra el Hambre para África Oriental. “Pero la ayuda humanitaria no puede poner fin al conflicto en Sudán del Sur. Sin una solución política, el hambre empeorará y persistirá, a pesar de nuestros esfuerzos.”

Acción contra el Hambre responde a las necesidades humanitarias más urgentes de las poblaciones de Jonglei, el norte de Bahr el Ghazal y Warrap, llegando a más de 580 400 personas a través de programas alimentarios y nutricionales de emergencia, además de brindar apoyo a los medios de subsistencia e intervenciones de agua y saneamiento. Nuestro equipo sobre el terreno está llevando a cabo evaluaciones de emergencia al mismo tiempo que realiza distribuciones de asistencia humanitaria en zonas del país donde las necesidades son más urgentes, como son los condados de Ayod y Pagiur en Jonglei, donde no hay otros actores humanitarios presentes.

*http://www.ipcinfo.org/home/es/

Acción contra el Hambre es una organización humanitaria internacional que lucha contra las causas y los efectos del hambre. Salvamos la vida de niños y niñas desnutridos. Garantizamos acceso a agua segura, alimentos, formación y cuidados básicos de salud. Trabajamos también para liberar niños, mujeres y hombres de la amenaza del hambre.

Más información y entrevistas con portavoces:

Departamento de Comunicación Acción contra el Hambre-España

91 391 53 06 | 91 771 16 72

@Acontraelhambre

www.accioncontraelhambre.org

DAVID MAJUR AWUOU MAJAK

Murle leaders participating in an historic reconciliation conference have been urged by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to resolve their political differences and work towards peace and development in the Jonglei region.

The conference in Pibor is being facilitated by UNMISS in support of local efforts to reach an amicable solution to ongoing conflict and intra-communal fighting in the area.

UNMISS Head of Field Office in Greater Jonglei, Deborah Schein, says the international community is committed to supporting and assisting reconciliation and peace building initiatives across the region.

“With peace comes development,” she told those present at the conference. “We the international community, can only support and assist. It is up to you, the Murle community, to reach an understanding on how to address the challenges confronting your society and provide solutions for lasting peace and development.”

UNMISS’ mandate in South Sudan is to protect civilians and build durable peace. However, peace will be difficult to achieve unless the violence ends.

“There will never be peace or stability as long as cycles of violence continue. These cycles of violence, amongst other issues, have been driven by cattle raiding, child abduction, random killing of civilians, property destruction, and obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance,” said Deborah Schein.

The Head of the Peace Commission in Boma underscored the significance of the peace conference.

“This peace dialogue is very important because we want to have peace among ourselves and our neighbours because no one can live without their neighbor,” said the chair of the Peace Commission, Simon Korton.

The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) is mediating the fresh dialogue between key Murle political leaders as a continuation of previous peace meetings held at Kuron in Kapoeta facilitated by Bishop Paride Taban.

SSCC is committed to bringing peace to greater Pibor, which is predominantly inhabited by Murle, as well as the whole of Boma and the greater Jonglei region.

Murle traditional leaders have blamed politicians struggling for power for the inability to reach a peace agreement and are urging them to focus on the unity of the Murle community as well as future opportunities for development.

“The main intention of the church here is to make peace in greater Boma state with its neighbours like Bor, Akobo, and Kapoeta,” said Isaac Nyiding, the regional coordinator for the Greater Upper Nile branch of the SSCC.

Some Murle leaders at the conference emphasized the importance of their people uniting and speaking with one voice to tackle the challenges faced by the community.

“We want to have one voice as the leaders of this community and that is what our top leaders discussed in Kuron and we have to adopt the same here so that we are united and support each other in the leadership,” said Simon Gayin, the Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement in Boma.

Other partners involved in supporting the dialogue alongside UNMISS include SSCC, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Finn Church Aid (FCA), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and OXFAM.

Opening Remarks:

Good morning and thanks for attending this press conference … it’s good to see you again.

I would like to update you on three key issues today; my meeting with President Kiir this week regarding the Paul Malong issue; the renewal of the UNMISS mandate and the Protection of Civilians sites that were established by the Mission.

I’d also like to comment briefly on a recent trip I took to Akobo.

[Meeting with President Kiir]

I met President Kiir on Tuesday afternoon, one of our regular meetings; where we discussed the successful resolution of the Paul Malong situation.

I’d like to take this opportunity to praise the role played by the Concerned Citizens’ Committee for Peace, which acted as a mediator between Mr Malong and the Government.

Throughout these negotiations, UNMISS has been in contact with a broad range of people involved in the situation. I have been in constant contact with the acting chairperson of the committee, Dr Francis Deng – whose diplomatic abilities were instrumental in bringing about a peaceful conclusion to this issue.

This peaceful conclusion came down simply to the choice of putting South Sudan and stability in Juba before all other concerns. We are grateful for the statesman-like way in which the situation was resolved.

The President and I also touched on the importance of the presidential order he has just issued on humanitarian access. This, we hope, will better serve the interests of the 6.2 million South Sudanese who need relief aid of one sort or another by ensuring that humanitarian agencies are actually able to get to them. We will, as usual, continue to monitor progress.

In addition, we discussed what is known as the Strategic Review.

A review team is due to arrive from UN Headquarters in New York at the end of the month, to look at the situation in South Sudan and to consult with a wide range of people, including the government, the international and humanitarian communities as well as UNMISS.

This team will also spend two days in Addis Ababa, where it will meet with other South Sudanese groups including the opposition.

The Strategic Review team will report back to the UN Secretary-General who in turn reports to the Security Council.

Its findings will help inform the decision the Security Council will make on the renewal of the UNMISS mandate …. which brings me to my second point.

[Renewal of the UNMISS mandate]

The current UNMISS mandate expires on 15 December 2017. I’d like to reiterate that it’s the 15-member Security Council based in New York, which decides whether or what the mandate will be and not us here in UNMISS.

As the Strategic Review will be coming out in the next couple of weeks, we are hopeful that the meetings that they have here and the findings that they have will be able to inform the Security Council as part of the mandate renewal.

I am personally committed to ensure there is a broad consultation process in which South Sudan is involved.

[Protection of Civilians sites]

I’d like to update you on the number of people living in our Protection of Civilians or POC sites. Currently, there are just under 213,000 people in six locations across the country.

The number has fluctuated depending on the security situation, but the trend now is showing a slow decline.

It’s important to reiterate that these POCs exist to shelter South Sudanese people who believe they face the threat of physical violence and who genuinely fear for their lives.

It is also important to note that the government has the primary responsibility to protect its own people and the POCs, to remind everyone, were never intended as long-term solutions to the displacement crisis. Overwhelmingly, residents say they are keen to return home and restart their lives.

We are far from the conditions for safe return in many parts of South Sudan.

However, a number of joint initiatives are underway in Bentiu, Wau, Melut and Bor to create safe environments so families can return home if they choose to.

UNMISS works closely with humanitarian partners, community groups and the local authorities to ensure services are available outside the POCs so that people move outside the POCs and they still have services to go to. We will also support South Sudan security services to create a better environment.

We need to make the most of these opportunities to help return IDPs to their homes as long as it is voluntary, dignified and safe.

[Akobo]

Lastly, I’d like to briefly mention Akobo, where I travelled earlier this month.

I went to listen to the needs of the community, the local authorities and the 10 to 15 humanitarian agencies which are working there.

Around 71,000 displaced people are currently living in Akobo and the surrounding area. It’s clear that their needs are immense; UNMISS is now looking at ways of extending a presence in the town.

The UNMISS mandate is to protect civilians and support the delivery of humanitarian aid, so it was also important to hear from the humanitarian agencies there how the presence of peacekeepers and other mission personnel can help.

As you know, Akobo lies in an opposition-held part of South Sudan.

As UNMISS we need to reach communities in need in all parts of the country, regardless of their ethnic or political background.

We are looking currently at the ways in which we can better support those communities. As that comes to the fore, we can come back and brief you more thoroughly later on. Thank you and I’m happy to take questions.

The UWC Refugee Initiative hopes to more than double the number of scholarships it currently offers to refugees at least 100.

By Helen Womack in Duino, Italy | 16 November 2017

DUINO, Italy - On a cliff top overlooking the Adriatic Sea, 18-year-old Emmanuel sits on a rock, doing his economics homework in the late afternoon sun. War overshadowed his childhood and educational opportunities in South Sudan, but now he is catching up academically and making the most of a scholarship to UWC (United World College) Adriatic College in Duino, near Trieste.

“There is a feeling of freedom up here,” he says, spreading out his arms. “A human being is like a tree. When you are in a bad environment, you narrow yourself and your thoughts but in a good place, you expand.”

UWC Adriatic is one of 17 colleges and schools that UWC has established around the globe, teaching the International Baccalaureate (IB). Founded in 1962, UWC is a secular organization with a mission to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. This year, the UWC Refugee Initiative, supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, hopes to more than double the number of scholarships it currently offers to refugees, from 47 to at least 100.

The cooperation between UNHCR and UWC is an example of the type of new partnerships needed to advance a comprehensive response, achieve better protection and long-lasting solutions for refugees and widen the options available for those refugees with few prospects of attaining a durable solution.

UNHCR hopes that the UWC Refugee Initiative can grow beyond the initial 100 students that will benefit from UWC’s colleges and schools. Education is crucial for young refugees to build their future, become self-reliant, provide leadership in displacement and rebuild communities recovering from conflict, including in areas of return and in host countries.

Like its sister schools on four continents, UWC Adriatic pursues a policy of “deliberate diversity”, bringing together students from all over the world. It currently has 188 students, of whom 10 are refugees, from over 80 countries doing the two-year IB programme, providing over 70 per cent of students with full or partial scholarships.

“We look for potential young leaders and persuasive students who will go out into the world and make a difference,” says headmaster Mike Price. “At UWC Adriatic, we provide the melting pot and let the students do the melting.”

Emmanuel is in the first semester of his first year at UWC Adriatic. His scholarship is courtesy of Anna Illy, of the famous Italian coffee roasting company Illy, and she has come to the college to meet Emmanuel for the first time. They sit in a café, sipping from small cups, before it is time for him to go to his English class.

Emmanuel’s English is fluent, and he also speaks Arabic and his native Moru tongue. He grew up in Yambio in South Sudan. While still in primary school, he fled conflict and became an internally displaced person in his own country, like millions of others. He later became an orphan, although he does not want to talk about his childhood. The memories are too painful.

After attending secondary school in Bahr Naam, Maridi County, Emmanuel moved to the capital of Juba but ran into fierce battles between government and rebel forces. He fled to Uganda, becoming one of over a million refugees from South Sudan at present being hosted in the neighbouring country. His older sister Raile also fled separately to Uganda. Miraculously, they met up again in Bweyale refugee camp.

A friend from South Sudan called Peter told Emmanuel about the UWC scholarship. Peter himself was too old to apply but encouraged his younger friend. “Peter has a caring heart,” says Emmanuel. “We had a closeness and when I faced challenges, he was like a brother to me.”

But Emmanuel had to take a big risk, giving up the protection he had been given in Uganda in order to return to his home country and to take part in the UWC scholarship interviews in Juba. “I spend most of my time praying,” he says. “A person can lose hope but you have to believe in what you do.”

He was selected by the UWC South Sudan National Committee from 19 candidates. Perhaps his 400-word essay on the war was the decisive factor, or perhaps it was his record of service as a Pathfinder (equivalent to a Boy Scout) in the Adventist church.

Emmanuel has settled in well at UWC Adriatic. He shares a room with a Ukrainian student, while his best friend is a boy from Japan.

“Everything was new,” Emmanuel says. “The weather, the landscape, the people around, so nice and welcoming. I am seeing things differently here.”

Emmanuel is studying economics, philosophy and biology, with mathematics, Italian and English as secondary subjects. After his morning lectures and a quick lunch in the canteen, the cliff top is a peaceful spot in the open air to do his homework.

The trees here remind him of his old school in South Sudan. He admits he is homesick. “I come up here to refresh my mind, to listen to songs on my phone and sing along with them. I miss home. I have lost old friends. But life is not a choice. It’s all about where you find yourself.”

Economics is the subject he hopes will take him to university after he completes the IB, possibly in Europe, and back home again to South Sudan. He is determined to return and make a difference for his own people.

Hungry families in South Sudan will be able to make ends meet thanks to vegetable-growing kits funded by a donation from Pope Francis. The kits come as the food security situation is forecast to worsen in coming months. Around 5 000 families, or more than 30 000 people, in Yei in Central Equatoria have benefited from the recent € 25,000 contribution from the Pope to FAO. The money is being used to provide the kits and agricultural hand tools in an area where livelihoods such as farming have been wiped out by fighting.

"Before the war, life was good and we could eat sufficiently, now just some little breakfast and dinner. My child still cries that he's hungry," said 22-year-old Suzan Night who was among those who received the kits from FAO in Yei. "Onions and tomatoes can be sold at the market which will really help me," she said.

Difference between life and death

“These vegetable kits can be the difference between life and death for many people,” said Serge Tissot, FAO’s Representative in South Sudan. “Thanks to Pope Francis’ contribution, more people in Yei will be able to re-start growing their own food to stave off the worst ravages of hunger,” he said. The kits will provide seven fast-growing vegetable varieties to increase families’ access to nutritious foods and bridge the food gap between the cereal harvests.

“I don't have money to go buy food in the market so I really need this,” said 30-year-old Candiru Lily. “I had to run for my life from the village and now I am here in Yei, but I don't have much land. With the seeds that I got today, I will plant just around my home and it will help me a lot.”

Crying for peace

In Central Equatoria, an estimated 145,000 people are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, which is one step below famine on the internationally-agreed scale of hunger crises. The extent of hunger is repeated many times over in other communities across South Sudan because fighting has destroyed livelihoods and constrained aid agencies' access, and because hyperinflation has put food out of reach for many. "We are so grateful," said Jeremiah Taban, pastor at Yei's Episcopal Church. "People in South Sudan are really suffering and are crying for peace. If Pope Francis could see us now he would feel sorry because no human beings should live like this".

Hungry season to start early

Across South Sudan, the number of people experiencing severe food insecurity is estimated at 4.8 million. The food security situation is projected to deteriorate at the start of 2018 and the ‘hungry season' - when households typically run out of food before the next harvest - is forecast to start three months earlier than usual.

FAO's team in South Sudan is focusing on strengthening food security by improving livelihoods. FAO has provided fishing, crop- and vegetable-growing kits to more than 4.2 million people, many in difficult to reach or conflict-affected areas, to support them to grow or catch their own food. FAO has also vaccinated and treated more than 4.8 million livestock, to protect these livelihood assets for vulnerable families.

NEEDS ANALYSIS

• Insecurity situation and sporadic fighting in in Jonglei and Upper Nile States generated significant new IDP caseloads. Thousands of displaced populations are reported taking refuge in Nyirol, Ulang and Maiwut counties, some of them are also reported crossing the border to Ethiopia seeking protection and humanitarian assistance. The cluster partners are responding to the needs of new caseloads while access remains an added challenge hampering the response.

• Food insecurity, dysfunctional markets and lack of livelihood opportunities continue to disrupt communities in South Sudan pushing them to move across the country to access humanitarian services.

• Partners are assessing the needs in areas around Yei town that have not been accessible since last year. Potentially, based on needs, partners could use the Survival Kit methodology for the response.

• Dry weather is settling in which will allow S/NFI pipeline to use the road route for prepositioning stocks from central hub in Juba to the field warehouses for timely response.

RESPONSE

• Thus far, cluster partners have reached 145,591 Households (659,334 individuals) with NFIs and 36,093 households (147,492 individuals) with shelter assistance.

• The core pipeline managed to dispatch 2,150 MT of stock from central workhouse in Juba to the field locations for response.

• The cluster partners continue to provide flexible and lightweight kits (survival kits) to famine affected populations in hard to reach, locations particularly in Central Unity areas. A total of 3,500 survival kits have been distributed.

A strategic review of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan’s peacekeeping role in the conflict-affected country will begin later this month ahead of consideration of its mandate by the UN Security Council.

The current mandate, which came into force in December 2016, authorizes UNMISS to use “all necessary means” to protect civilians. It also requires the Mission to monitor and investigate human rights, create conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and to support the implementation of the peace agreement. That mandate expires next month.

In the next few weeks, a review team from the UN Headquarters will travel to South Sudan to consider the security and humanitarian situation, consult with a wide range of people in the capital as well as in more remote parts of the country. It will also speak with other South Sudanese groups based in Addis Ababa, including the opposition.

“What we would like to do through the strategic review is to canvass and understand some of the issues and opinions of people here in South Sudan so that we can feed that into the decision that will ultimately be made by the Security Council,” said the Head of UNMISS and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, David Shearer, at a press conference in Juba.

It is the 15-member Security Council, based in New York, that will decide whether to extend the mandate, not UNMISS. The review team’s findings as well as other broader consultation processes will inform their decision-making.

South Sudan has been plagued by ongoing conflict since the outbreak of civil war in 2013 - two years after the country won independence and joined the UN to become the world’s newest nation. Four million people have fled to neighbouring countries to escape the violence or are internally displaced, with 213,000 people living in sites protected by UN peacekeepers.

“We are not looking at the mandate not being renewed at the moment. There is no plan B, there is only plan A, that the mandate will be renewed. So, inshallah, I hope it is and we are able to continue as we are. If it does not, then we will frantically start planning,” said David Shearer.

The Security Council is expected to consider the issue of the UNMISS mandate at a meeting next month.

FRANCESCA MOLD

The resolution of a stand-off between the Government and ex-army chief Paul Malong has been welcomed by the Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

General Paul Malong, the former chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), was fired and has been under house arrest at his residence in the capital, Juba, since May.

Tensions developed recently after the issuing of a presidential order requiring a reduction of Malong’s contingent of bodyguards. There were fears the situation would lead to violence in the capital but, earlier this week, a presidential decree was issued releasing Malong from house arrest and allowing him to leave the country.

That decision by President Salva Kiir followed intervention by the Concerned Citizens’ Committee for Peace (CCCP), led by acting chairman Dr. Francis Deng, who has been praised by the UNMISS chief “for acting as a mediator between Mr Malong and the Government to reach a resolution”.

Speaking at a press conference in Juba today, David Shearer said the conclusion of the issue reflected well on all parties involved who had “put South Sudan and stability in Juba before all other concerns.”

David Shearer has held regular meetings with the Government and all parties involved in the situation. He said that the UN Mission in South Sudan remained committed to helping build durable peace in the young East African nation and that it would continue to offer support in relation to the Malong issue if requested by both parties to the dispute.

“Our role is to help build durable peace in South Sudan and we are here if you need our support,” he said.