Situation

• After more than four years of civil conflict, South Sudan remains one of the most food-insecure countries in the world. By the end of the 2017 lean season in September—the period of the year when food is most scarce—approximately 56 percent of the country’s population was facing life-threatening hunger and in need of humanitarian assistance, making 2017 the most food-insecure year in South Sudan’s history.

• Despite slight improvements in food availability in late 2017 due to seasonal harvests, the 2018 lean season began in January, three months earlier than usual. Additionally, the lean season began with 5.3 million people facing life-threatening hunger—a 40 percent increase compared to the same time in 2017—according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

• Food security is expected to deteriorate through at least July 2018, as widespread insecurity continues to displace communities, disrupt livelihood activities, and impede humanitarian access to vulnerable populations. Even with planned levels of humanitarian assistance, communities in 71 out of South Sudan’s 86 counties are projected to face either Crisis (IPC 3) or Emergency (IPC 4) levels of severe food insecurity—including critical levels of malnutrition—between May and July 2018, according to the IPC.* In the absence of unfettered and robust humanitarian assistance, Famine (IPC 5) is possible in South Sudan in 2018.

ADDIS ABABA –The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, are appealing for US$80 million to provide food assistance to refugees in Ethiopia.

The amount of food that refugees receive was cut by 20 percent last year below the 2,100 kilocalories per day required to sustain the average person. UNHCR and WFP are warning of deeper cuts to the amount of food from April unless new funding is received in March.

Without new contributions, 650,000 refugees in camps in Ethiopia could soon become even more hungry and may eventually face hunger so severe that it could put lives at risk.

"After fleeing conflict and deprivation in their home countries, refugees deserve to be protected and supported,” said Samir Wanmali, WFP’s Acting Country Director in Ethiopia. “We have a shared responsibility to leave no one behind. Should we neglect this, we risk further destitution and marginalization of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Ethiopia hosts the second largest number of refugees in Africa. There are more than 900,000 refugees in the country, including people from Eritrea, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. Some 650,000 of them live in camps and depend on assistance from WFP and UNHCR.

The two UN agencies fear refugee families could adopt harmful survival strategies and might even try to leave Ethiopia. Particularly at risk are young children who risk becoming stunted if they do not receive the right nutrients during the first 1,000 days of life.

“The malnutrition rates in the camps are already high – further ration cuts could have a devastating effect and will hinder efforts being made to help the refugees become more self-sufficient, in line with the objectives of the global Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework,” said UNHCR Deputy Representative Matthew Crentsil.

Recent assessments show that malnutrition rates among children under the age of five are above the emergency threshold of 15 percent in nearly half of the 26 refugee camps.

Conflict and drought in neighbouring countries continues to force people to seek refuge in Ethiopia, which has a long tradition of hosting refugees. In 2017, nearly 110,000 refugees arrived in Ethiopia.

WFP and UNHCR work in support of the Ethiopian Government Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs and with key partners to address the needs of all refugees in camps.

# # #

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 around 80 countries.

UNHCR is the United Nations programme with the mandate to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people, and assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_ethiopia; @wfp_africa; @wfp_media; @UNHCREthiopia

For more information, please contact:
Melese Awoke, WFP/Addis Ababa; melese.awoke@wfp.org; Tel.: +251 911201981
Kisut Gebreegziabher UNHCR/Addis Ababa; gegziabk@unhcr.org; Tel.: +251 911208901,
Peter Smerdon, WFP Regional Bureau/Nairobi; peter.smerdon@wfp.org, Mobile: +254 707 722 104

A ce jour l'UNHCR Niger a reçu un total 1, 020 Evacues de la Libye au terme de 10 vagues connues sur le nom d’ETM1 à ETM10. La vague de ETM1 et ETM5 sont des réfugiés reconnus sous mandat. Les réfugiés de la vague ETM1 (25 individus) sont réinstallés.

A partir de l’ETM8, le Niger a reçu de la Libye les données des demandeurs d’asiles par transfert électronique (ROT). L'équipe du Niger confirme et complète les données reçues avant d'enrôler les bénéficiaires dans BIMS. La vague de ETM10 sera électroniquement transférée de la Libye vers le Niger avec un total de 123 PoCs; ce transfert est prévu pour le 28th Février 2018.

NUMBERS AT A GLANCE

7 million People in South Sudan Requiring Humanitarian Assistance
2018 Humanitarian Response Plan – December 2017

5.3 million People in Need of Food Assistance in South Sudan
IPC Technical Working Group – January 2018

1.82 million IDPs in South Sudan OCHA – January 31, 2018

204,000
Individuals Seeking Refuge at UNMISS Bases UNMISS – March 1, 2018

2.43 million
Refugees and Asylum Seekers from South Sudan in Neighboring Countries UNHCR – February 15, 2018

287,400
Refugees from Neighboring
Countries in South Sudan
UNHCR – February 28, 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

• In late February, the South Sudan Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Technical Working Group reported that approximately 5.3 million people faced severe levels of acute food insecurity during January, a 40 percent increase compared to January 2017. Famine is possible in South Sudan without unfettered and robust humanitarian assistance, according to the IPC analysis.

• On March 6, the U.S. Government (USG) announced an additional $184 million in humanitarian assistance for the South Sudan response, including $145 million for interventions in South Sudan and nearly $39 million for life-saving assistance to South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries. The new funding comprises more than $107 million from USAID/FFP, nearly $17 million from USAID/OFDA, and more than $60 million from State/PRM

CURRENT EVENTS

On February 26, the South Sudan IPC Technical Working Group reported that approximately 5.3 million people—nearly half of South Sudan’s population—experienced Crisis—IPC 3—or worse levels of acute food insecurity in January, with approximately 1 million people facing Emergency—IPC 4—levels.5 The severely food-insecure population represents a 40 percent increase compared to January 2017. The IPC analysis forecasts that food security in South Sudan will continue to deteriorate through July 2018 due to extreme macroeconomic instability and disrupted agricultural production resulting from conflict and population displacement. Famine in South Sudan may occur in 2018 if planned humanitarian assistance does not reach populations in need, the IPC Technical Working Group reports.

On February 13, USAID/FFP partner the UN World Food Program (WFP) transported approximately 500 metric tons (MT) of emergency food assistance via river barge from Upper Nile State’s Renk town, near the Sudan–South Sudan border, to the state’s Malakal town. The delivery represents the first time since December 2014 that WFP has used the river corridor to transport emergency food assistance between the two towns. WFP continues to explore new river transportation routes, which provide the UN agency flexible and cost-effective options to deliver life-saving food assistance.ns from both government and opposition forces, including in Unity’s Koch County and several parts of Central Equatoria. The Troika Heads of Mission—Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States—condemned the recent clashes between government and opposition forces in South Sudan.

INSECURITY, DISPLACEMENT, AND HUMANITARIAN ACCESS

Continued clashes in Jonglei State prompted approximately 9,750 internally displaced persons (IDPs) to flee to Upper Nile’s Ulang County from January 1–February 5, according to a non-governmental organization (NGO) assessment. The assessment also identified acute health, nutrition, and protection needs due to assistance gaps and widespread displacement. IDPs reported limited access to functioning latrines, lack of food, and risk of sexual and gender-based violence. In February, NGOs reported that access constraints and bureaucratic impediments had delayed rapid responses to emergency needs among displaced populations in Ulang.

Clashes among armed groups in Yei County’s Makaia town, Central Equatoria State, displaced more than 3,360 IDPs to nearby Yei town between January 1 and February 19, according to the UN. Increased population movement to Yei town follows the January 26 establishment of a UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) temporary operating base in the town. Relief organizations are responding to increased need in Yei town by providing emergency food, health care, and shelter assistance to IDPs. However, IDPs in the area reported ongoing protection concerns, such as child abuse, family separation, and high levels of sexual and gender-based violence.

Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) elements denied passage to aid workers at a checkpoint in Western Bahr el Ghazal State’s Lokoloko town in early February, citing incorrect documentation, the UN reports. SPLA forces granted the humanitarian staff passage after the team returned several days later with additional documentation, including a letter from the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GoRSS) Relief and Rehabilitation Commission and a copy of the November 2017 presidential decree calling on armed actors to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access in South Sudan. In addition, armed elements near Unity’s Bentiu town continued to operate unauthorized checkpoints and harass commercial vehicles transporting humanitarian cargo as of early March, according to the UN.

USAID/OFDA recently provided approximately $1.5 million in FY 2018 funding to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to support coordination, information management, and humanitarian advocacy and financing activities in South Sudan. The new funding brings total USAID/OFDA assistance for OCHA in South Sudan to $4 million from FY 2017–2018.

FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION

A combination of local crop production and humanitarian assistance since September 2017 has prevented worsening of food security in 17 counties and mitigated the risk of Famine in five counties, including in the Greater Baggari area in Western Bahr el Ghazal, the IPC Technical Working Group reports. Despite continued humanitarian assistance, populations in 71 out of South Sudan’s 86 counties are expected to face Crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity between May and July 2018. Furthermore, populations in 11 counties—including Jonglei’s Ayod, Fangak, Nyirol, Pibor, and Uror counties, Unity State’s Koch, Leer, Mayendit, and Panyijar counties, Upper Nile’s Longochuck County, and Western Bahr el Ghazal’s Wau County—could face Famine if humanitarian actors are unable to continue delivering humanitarian assistance in the coming months.

Despite adequate rainfall during the 2017 planting season, cereal production in 2017 decreased nearly 8 percent compared to 2016, representing the lowest cereal production since the current conflict began in December 2013, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The UN agency projects the crop deficit to worsen during 2018, with crop production expected to be an estimated 482,000 MT below average—more than 25 percent higher than the 2017 crop deficit. FAO reports that conflict in 2017 disrupted livelihoods activities for farmers and reduced the average area of land planted per household, particularly in Central Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal, where harvested areas decreased by nearly 50 percent and more than 25 percent, respectively.

Approximately 76 percent of households in the vicinity of the capital city of Juba were food insecure and only 20 percent were consuming acceptable quantities and types of food as of late 2017, according to the recently released Juba Urban Food Security and Nutrition Study, which was conducted by UN agencies, NGOs, and the GoRSS. The assessment concluded that families in Juba remain highly dependent on markets to purchase food and the country’s ongoing economic crisis has reduced household purchasing power and restricted access to food. Nearly 50 percent of surveyed households reported using more than 65 percent of total household expenditures on food, while 35 percent reported relying on emergency coping strategies—such as consuming seeds or selling productive assets—to afford food. The assessment also identified GAM levels of more than 10 percent in Juba—similar levels compared to assessments conducted in 2015 and 2016.

USAID/FFP recently provided more than $107 million in emergency food assistance to support the humanitarian response in South Sudan. The USAID/FFP contribution includes nearly $75 million, including 36,000 MT of U.S. in-kind food aid, to support WFP’s emergency food assistance operations across South Sudan. USAID/FFP also provided approximately $17.8 million to Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to support the provision of emergency food assistance in Jonglei. In addition, USAID/FFP provided approximately $14.4 million—including 1,170 MT of ready-to-use therapeutic food—to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support life-saving nutrition interventions that treat children younger than five years of age facing severe acute malnutrition.

HEALTH AND WASH As of March 1, health actors had recorded 34 suspected meningitis cases, including 15 related deaths, in Torit County’s Imvrok and Iyire payams, Eastern Equatoria, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Approximately 95 percent of the population in Torit ages 1–29 years received meningitis vaccinations during a national campaign in 2016. However, relief actors report limited health services in the affected area and note that some households in the county are hesitant to seek assistance at health care facilities due to a preference for traditional medicine. Relief organizations are coordinating with local health authorities to scale up response efforts in Torit.

In February, increased measles transmission in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State prompted the declaration of an outbreak in Aweil Center and Aweil East counties, according to the UN. On February 13, health organizations in Aweil Center recorded three confirmed measles cases and two related deaths, resulting in the declaration of a measles outbreak. By late February relief actors in Aweil East had recorded 11 suspected cases of measles, including three confirmed cases, resulting in the declaration of an outbreak, WHO reported. The GoRSS Ministry of Health is coordinating response activities, including information campaigns, case management, and a reactive vaccination campaign. In response to the measles outbreaks, NGOs are bolstering disease surveillance activities in the two counties and plan to integrate nutrition screenings, Vitamin A distributions, and deworming activities in future vaccination campaigns, according to the UN.

Health actors reported 32 suspected cases of Rift Valley Fever (RVF), including five related deaths, between December 7, 2017 and February 18, 2018, according to WHO. Despite decreasing levels of human transmission attributable in part to public awareness campaigns, livestock transmission continues. The majority of RVF cases affect small ruminants, leaving female-headed households—commonly reliant on goats and sheep rather than large ruminants such as cattle—more vulnerable to food insecurity, according to USAID health advisors.

USAID/OFDA recently provided $3 million in FY 2018 funding to UNICEF to support multi-sector humanitarian interventions across South Sudan. Among other activities, the USAID/OFDA funding will support the commodity pipeline of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian WASH activities, comprising UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders. With USAID/OFDA assistance, UNICEF will facilitate distribution of emergency WASH supplies, such as water containers and water purification tablets, to populations in need, while helping to mitigate the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases during the May-to-September rainy season.

USG RESPONSE

From February 19–20, USAID staff, including USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) members, traveled to Upper Nile’s Aburoc and Kodok towns to assess humanitarian conditions and response efforts and meet with partner organizations and affected populations. The trip represented the first USAID visit to Aburoc since widespread violence prompted large-scale population displacement in the area during early 2017. In Kodok, the USAID team observed the efforts of USAID/OFDA partner World Vision to mitigate sexual and gender-based violence and other protection risks through provision of safe drinking water. World Vision is operating a water treatment system near the Nile River, which provides a safe place for women to collect water. In addition, the NGO is rehabilitating boreholes in Kodok, reducing the distance women must travel to access safe drinking water and thereby minimizing exposure to armed elements.

USAID staff, including DART members, visited Upper Nile’s Malakal town on February 14 to observe humanitarian conditions and relief activities in the town and nearby UNMISS protection of civilians (PoC) site. According to UNMISS, approximately 15,000–20,000 people are residing in Malakal town; however, the USAID team witnessed limited market activity during the mid-February visit. In addition, approximately 24,400 people were sheltering at the PoC site as of late February, according to the UN. Despite congested conditions, the USAID team observed comprehensive and well-organized humanitarian services in the camp. Communities within and outside of the PoC site in Malakal continue to depend on humanitarian assistance to meet basic needs, such as access to health care services, safe drinking water, food commodities, and nutrition assistance.

In Malakal, the USAID team visited a USAID/South Sudan-supported school and observed a USAID/OFDA–supported project that addresses food security, livelihoods, and WASH needs. In the PoC site, USAID staff visited a USAID/OFDA-supported health clinic, WASH facility, and psychosocial support center, as well as a USAID/South Sudan-supported youth center, library, and school.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

On February 6, the Government of Japan announced approximately $26 million in new humanitarian funding for the South Sudan response, which will support 16 NGOs to deliver emergency food, health care, nutrition, protection, and WASH interventions across the country. The Government of Japan is also providing an additional $8 million to assist South Sudanese refugees sheltering in neighboring countries.

CONTEXT The January 2005 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the southern-based SPLA officially ended more than two decades of north–south conflict during which famine, fighting, and disease killed an estimated 2 million people and displaced at least 4.5 million others within Sudan. In July 2011, South Sudan became an independent state following a referendum earlier in the year.

On December 15, 2013, clashes erupted in Juba between factions within the GoRSS and quickly spread into a protracted national conflict. On December 20, 2013, USAID activated a DART to lead the USG response to the crisis in South Sudan. USAID also stood up a Washington, D.C.-based Response Management Team (RMT) to support the DART.

On February 20, 2017, the IPC Technical Working Group declared Famine levels of food insecurity in Unity’s Leer and Mayendit counties. On June 21, 2017, the IPC Technical Working Group declared that sustained humanitarian interventions had moderately improved food security conditions in Leer and Mayendit, resulting in the removal of the Famine level designation for acute food insecurity in the counties. Life-threatening food insecurity continues to impact households across South Sudan.

On October 19, 2017, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Michael K. Morrow redeclared a disaster in South Sudan for FY 2018 due to ongoing violent conflict, population displacement, restricted humanitarian access, and disruption of trade, markets, and cultivation activities, all of which have significantly exacerbated food insecurity and humanitarian needs.

South Sudan - Crisis Fact Sheet #5, Fiscal Year (FY) 2018

In both South Sudan and the Kurdish Region of Iraq, IsraAID and STEM Synergy’s STEM programs are transforming the situation of women and girls who have experienced displacement and conflict.

7 March 2018

IsraAID and STEM Synergy’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programs in both South Sudan and the Kurdish Region of Iraq are changing the lives of women and girls who have experienced conflict and displacement. The ground-breaking STEM programs feature both theoretical and practical education, offering students and teachers a unique opportunity to expand their educational potential and participate in the rebuilding and development of their countries. On International Women’s Day and throughout the year, IsraAID and STEM Synergy’s programs continue to provide women and girls, often deprived of access to education at greater rates than their male peers, with a vital pathway to expanding participation in society.

The only STEM program in the Kurdish Region of Iraq, operated in partnership with IsraAID and STEM Synergy, with the support of the Mark Gelfand Family Charitable Trust, is already making a vital difference. Women and girls make up 60% of students and 75% of teachers on the program. In 2017, the program reached nearly 2,000 students in eight schools, with 120 volunteer teachers trained by IsraAID and STEM Synergy. For students and teachers who have experienced prolonged periods of displacement, STEM programs in a safe and secure environment can dramatically improve personal achievement, resourcefulness and opportunities for future success.

Diana (her name has been changed to maintain anonymity), the first volunteer teacher on the STEM program in Kurdish Iraq, explained the vital importance of STEM education to women in Kurdish Iraq: “Women in Iraq need education programs like these. It is hugely important, first for us, and through us for our children and the wider community. Iraq is a big country, and it will not be developed without women participating in the process. We live in a closed environment, where women are losing the chance to be more conscious of the world around us, but the STEM program has enabled us to deepen our understanding and see things we could never have imagined before. The education we have earned will help us make change for the next generation of Iraqis, while the current generation needs us as teachers, sisters and mothers.”

The first-ever STEM center in South Sudan, based at the University of Juba, was opened in November 2017 in partnership with IsraAID and STEM Synergy, and with the continued generous support of the Mark Gelfand Family Charitable Trust. In South Sudan, according to the UNFPA, only 34% of girls are enrolled in primary school, and the UNDP estimates that the expected number of years girls will spend in school is only 3.8 – the lowest of all countries with data available. By providing women and girls in South Sudan with access to electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, optics and computer learning labs for the first time, the Juba University STEM Center has the potential to have a profound, long-term effect on girls’ educational attainment and opportunity.

“STEM does not know any boundaries of gender, religion nor ethnicity. STEM connects people and promote peaceful coexistence through knowledge and education,” explained Dr. Mark Gelfand, the Founder of STEM Synergy and the Mark Gelfand Family Charitable Trust.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

PROFILE

IsraAID is a leading humanitarian non-governmental organisation, committed to providing life-saving emergency relief and durable solutions for populations affected by natural disasters, epidemics and post-conflict situations. Since its inception in 2001, IsraAID has become synonymous with a rapid response to humanitarian crises. Its medical teams, search & rescue units, post trauma experts, community specialists and other professionals have led international responses in natural disasters and civil strife around the world. After the initial emergency period, IsraAID shifts to long-term programs, all to accompany communities and governments as they strive to build a better tomorrow. As of 2018, IsraAID has responded to crises in 46 countries, and has on-going programs in 20 countries.

Three-day Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (ACoH) orientation workshop targeting women and people living with disabilities (PLWDs) in South Sudan came to a close on Wednesday.

The forum aimed at sensitizing the two groups on the ACoH signed between Parties in the country last December brought together at least a hundred participants.

Speaking during the closing ceremony, South Sudan Minister for Gender and Social Welfare Hon. Aout Deng Acuil said:

“It is very important that women in South Sudan play work for peace, silence the guns. It is women and children that are displaced during. They suffer the most. It is therefore prudent that endeavor their voice be heard,” she said.

“We must remember and appreciate the role of women in our society. Such workshop helps in making women and people with disabilities that they are not only expected to play a positive role, but also are a pillar for peace,” she added.

Lillian Musa, a participant said, “I am now more informed about the Agreement (ACoH), and what I am expected of, as woman of South Sudan.”

Abalo Grace added “For us to play a role in the implementation of the Agreement, we need resources. We need protection and political support and national and international goodwill,”

Participant Sabah Abadalla said, “Agreements aimed at silencing the guns, and stop the killings are important. But most important is the full, honest and inclusive implementation and I think women are an integral part in doing this,”

The women workshop ended a day before the world marks World International Women Day, on Thursday. The event is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This year’s theme is “Press for Progress.”

During the workshop, participants raised lack of awareness, lack of resources, political goodwill, high level of illiteracy and cultural beliefs are some of the challenges hampering more women involvement in the peace process in South Sudan.

All displaced people face challenges, but among the most vulnerable of those in search of protection are women and girls. "Being a woman is harder when you are displaced," says Director of NRC's field operations, Magnhild Vasset.

Many women who are forced to flee their homes, do not only have to protect and take care of themselves but their children as well. "When people are forced to flee, the day-to-day survival falls on women," says Vasset. "Women are the ones that must provide for their children, find shelter and food. They often continue to be responsible for the family, for housekeeping and cooking, and are in many situations forced to go out and earn the money as well."

Losing support network

Before they are displaced, women in most countries have a support network around them. According to Magnhild Vasset, being forced to flee often changes this for the worse in the countries where NRC operates:

"For instance, in Syria, before the conflict, women were able to leave the house, girls were able to go to school, they were able to socialise. As displaced women, their freedom of movement is heavily restricted. Women that had a safety net suddenly may not have that anymore."

These responsibilities can have negative effects on women's lives:

"We see it in Uganda where many displaced women are forced to be the sole breadwinners for their children. Some have turned to "survival sex" to feed their families. When you're displaced, you lose your protection network, you lose the freedoms you once had," says Vasset.

Sexual violence

Displaced women also face greater risks of sexual violence and other abuses:

"In all the countries in which we work, we continue to see women being marginalised. Rape is used as a weapon of war – it is happening in Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and The Central African Republic. At the same time, response to gender-based violence is one of the most underfunded issue in humanitarian response."

Need to strengthen humanitarian response for women and girls

The humanitarian system needs to acknowledge that there are specific needs of women and girls that need to be met that are not being met today, argues Vasset. "They need to programme for that, give women a position in their community to try and bolster how people see them, as people who can contribute to decision making and leadership."

Hear their stories

Women and girls who are forced to flee around the world deserve special attention this Women's Day. Meet some of them and hear their stories below:

Mwama Mukenguo, 40, and her eight children were forced to flee after rebels killed her husband and father in their home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We have nothing. I gave birth to my baby in May and he’s severely malnourished. I have eight kids, six are here with me now and two are with relatives. We need food and clothes,” she says.

“My husband was killed when we fled towards Uganda. Now I am alone here, trying my best to support my three children”, says Apai Regina, 25 from South Sudan. She wishes for her children can grow up in safety.

“One of the challenges we face is that if you do not have pads, you stay home and hide,” says Monica Abuk Garang, 19. She explains that if girls do not have pads they rather stay home than go to school. The opportunity to go to school is often a hope of a brighter future, but with the lack of sanitary kits the young women may struggle to attend school. In Monica's school in Gordhim, South Sudan, we handed out sanitary pads to help the young women stay in school.

Lashi Roi Ja, 30, fled with her children when the fighting came to her village. Two years ago, she got word that her husband, who was in the army, had died in battle. "I have a couple of pigs here, but I can't do much work outside the camp, since I have to stay here to take care of my youngest children. Sometimes, I would get a part time job at one of the farms, growing rice, in the area, but I can only go if I get someone to look after my children. “I have sleepless nights, because I’m worried about my children’s education,” Lashi Roi says. With her in the photo is her 8-year-old son Aung Latt.

28-year-old Shafiqa had to flee with her three children after the conflict in her hometown, Faryab, Afghanistan, began to intensify. As people try to rebuild their lives, Shafiqa is trying to build a new home for her familiy in Sar-e Pol.

This is Maysar, 20, carrying her 2-year-old son Ayad. After her husband joined the Islamic State Group, she hasn't heard from him: "I don't know if he is missing or dead. I have three children, none of them have identification. If I can't prove that my husband is dead, I can't get birth certificates for them," she explains.

25-year-old Kich from South Sudan has a strong message on how important it is to stay in school when you're a girl: "If you're not educated with a lot of children and your husband is killed in South Sudan, then your children will not get any support - and some of them will be thieves or killers. That’s why I am telling you girls: Don’t leave your education. Even if you have a child – continue!”

COMPASS – an all-girl alliance – is steering refugee girls towards fighting sexual and gender-based violence

The sounds of sweet music and chants fill a section of Bambasi Camp, in Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz region. This vast community of over 17,000 Sudanese refugees is home to a group of excited young girls who now sing and clap as they welcome each other to another weekly session of fun-filled learning - the COMPASS sessions.

COMPASS is a group for girls of all ages who have one goal - to acquire the skills to protect themselves from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The acronym stands for Creating Opportunities through Mentorship, Parental involvement and Safe Space.

“We learn how to build our self-confidence, how to protect ourselves and how to respect others,” says Siham, 18, a Sudanese refugee and one of the COMPASS girls.

“We also shine bright in the process,” she smiles as she explains that the group is also referred to as Girl Shine, a direct translation from the Arabic word ‘Noor Albanat’.

As a young girl, Siham was caught up in the ravaging conflict in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, constantly plagued by the sounds of bombs and gun shots. At only nine, she was forced to flee to Ethiopia where she has lived for seven years.

She has grown up to be courageous and has found acceptance in COMPASS – a group of like-minded girls who she views as something greater than her - something that is potentially changing the lives of over 8,000 refugee girls and women in the camp.

“This camp has saved us. This project has saved us,” explains Siham.

Every week, the COMPASS girls meet in a safe space funded by DFID, the UK’s Aid and Development Agency and a key donor for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The programme is managed by UNHCR’s partner agency, International Rescue Commission (IRC).

Through audio lessons translated in Arabic, mentors who share their culture and language, discuss issues related to violence. The girls also learn various life skills that help them address issues such as early marriage and gender violence in their communities.

“We are empowering these girls to have a voice in their communities and families,” explains Timbit Essayas, IRC’s COMPASS Officer in Bambasi.

She adds that the group guides the girls and helps them to “have a voice and help their parents understand their situation.”

Not only has Siham and her friends learned how to prevent and report cases of SGBV, but they have also been inspired to become advocates for girls’ and women’s rights.

“We are learning how to live life without fear and violence and about our right to education,” she says. “Before I didn’t know anything about life. I think all generations of girls need to come and join and learn with us.”

She hopes to finish her education and become a teacher for girls.

Half of the over 900,000 refugees in Ethiopia are women and girls who are at risk of sexual and/or gender-based violence. This includes survival sex as a coping mechanism, harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation and early marriage, limited access to justice mechanisms and the lack of safe energy sources.

Today, on International Women’s Day, the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi reiterates that the ‘Time is Now.’ He has called for further efforts to support women and girls like Siham to achieve their full potential – through better access to education, decent work, legal and health services.

UNHCR and other partner agencies are already working towards this goal in Ethiopia by establishing a strategy that will in coming years, empower refugee women and girls to take part in their protection. The strategy also involves men and boys as key players in this process.

COMPASS has given previously vulnerable girls like Siham a course to follow – a path that leads them towards achieving their dreams.

“We are girls rising up to be our own compass and light, to be our own superheroes in a life where women are steadily being heard and respected,” adds Siham.

Burundian refugees

■ On 15th February, 197 refugees were transferred to Mulongwe site from Kavimvira transit center. To this date, the total number of refugees in Mulongwe is 1,897, including 11 newborn babies and 29 cases of family reunification registered on 8th February. Construction works at the site continued. 12 latrines and 7 showers were completed, 11 communal dormitories were under construction and other 19 planned to accommodate more relocations in the coming period.

■ 363 new arrivals from Burundi were registered in Monge Monge Transit Center between 14th and 15th February. In total, 405 persons are currently residing at the transit center.

■ UNHCR’s Protection team visited 12 refugees detained by the national police in a prison near Lusenda. Following the visit, nine of them were released. The team also reported bad detention conditions, and plans to advocate with the police to improve the situation.

■ In Mulongwe site, 426 students, among them 391 refugees, received school material, including notebooks, pens, crayons, etc. from Education Cluster contingency stock.

■ Due to budget constraints, on 7th February World Food Programme (WFP) announced that the amount of the voucher will be reduced from 15$ to 12$ and that only one food fair will be organized for January and February. Refugees organized peaceful demonstrations against these reductions. In Mulongwe, WFP held the first food fair of 2 days on 6th February. Furthermore, 26 people with specific needs as well as their families living outside the camp received food supplies for three months from WFP through partner ADES.

Executive Summary

This diagnostic report examines trends in structural factors in South Sudan since 2m013 based on risk assessment indicators, global trends, and key stakeholder interactions. Based on this assessment the conflict in South Sudan is likely to deteriorate due to high food insecurity, a collapsing economy, ongoing neglect of the 2015 peace agreement, fragmented rebel groups, a lack of control of government and opposition forces, as well as upcoming elections. The trends and events outlined below indicate that violence is predicted to continue and that humanitarian needs will also continue to escalate in the country, with aid workers challenged to safely access and provide for these needs. The danger of an escalating humanitarian crisis further threatens the tenuous state of 'peace' in South Sudan.

FILIP ANDERSSON

A jam-packed Nyakuron Cultural Centre in Juba enjoyed a colourful celebration of the International Women’s Day. Attendees were treated to a parade and an assortment of empowering cultural performances, but were also reminded of the urgent need for durable peace, and the dire reality still facing most South Sudanese women.

“It is the girls and women of this country who bear the greatest burden in conflict,” said David Shearer, head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, listing the loss of lives, sexual and other forms of violence, displacement and the lack of adequate access to food, clean water, health care and educational opportunities as examples of their predicaments.

A venue filled with various government representatives, including First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, school children and women from all walks of life listened attentively as Mr. Shearer referred to the national theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, “Press for Progress to transform rural women’s and girls’ lives”. In this context, the UNMISS head emphasized the proven transformational power of women have exercised in many countries plagued by conflicts.

“Wherever I have worked in conflict zones around the world I have found that women are pivotal to ending war and building durable peace,”, he said, singling out Liberia, soon to be free of the presence of UN peacekeepers, as a particularly inspiring example of what women can achieve.

The head of the peacekeeping mission recounted the brutality and the prevailing sense of hopelessness – “people genuinely felt that peace wouldn’t ever be possible” - in the West African country and its subsequent arduous struggle towards its current state of peace and development.

“It is a wonderful example of what can be done. And the critical force behind it? Women. Activists on the ground and finally even a woman president. They are the leading voices of reconciliation, of unity, of hope and progress towards enduring peace.”

On his part, the First Vice President observed that one day a year dedicated to women is not enough.

“Women are everything, especially in South Sudan. Every day of the year should be a women’s day,” said Taban Deng, recognizing the plight of rural women in particular:

“South Sudanese women are the marginalized among the marginalized, and rural women in South Sudan, unfortunately, lie at the bottom at that food chain. This year, in 2018, it is our primary responsibility and challenge to reverse that trend. We should ponder how women’s role can be enhanced in the peace making process of our country.”

Using the International Women’s Day event as a suitable platform, Mr. Shearer also officially launched an UNMISS nationwide essay competition on the topic “How can women contribute to durable peace in South Sudan?” for secondary school students (more detailed information about the competition to follow).

Expressing his hopes of identifying “young people to lead us all” while reading the essays to be submitted, the top UN official in South Sudan affirmed that today [International Women’s Day] is about peace, “but also about progress.”

“The women and girls of this country are strong, resilient, and proud. They are the backbone of the country and deserve all the opportunities that life can and should give them.”

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Background

In 1960, the DRC gained independence from King Leopold II and Belgium after nationalist uprisings in now called Kinshasa. The newly independent Congo quickly became plagued with scandal, corruption, and civil conflict. In 1965, Joseph Mobuto becomes President in a coup d’état, renames the Zaire, and remains in power for 32 years. In 1994, the Rwandan genocide had a significant negative impact on Zaire as Rwandan Hutus, including genocidaires enter the Eastern DRC. In 1996, Rwandan-backed, Congolese Tutsi rebels capture most of eastern Zaire and in 1997, capture the capital of Kinshasa during the First Congo War. Laurent-Desire Kabila is named President of the newly renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, there is no lasting peace. The following year Kabila demands that his Rwandan army backers leave the country and less than a week later, Rwandan and Ugandan backed armies begin the Second Congo War. President Kabila receives support from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola. The six countries involved sign a peace accord in Lusaka, Zambia in 1999.In 2001, President Kabila is assassinated by a bodyguard, and his son, Joseph takes office. In 2003, Joseph Kabila was sworn in as interim president and official elections were scheduled for 2005. The following year, the first free elections were held and Kabila wins a runoff president elections. In 2011, presidential elections give Kabila another term, however, this vote received both domestic and international criticism and opposition over the results. While violent clashes continue in the east, dozens are killed in protests in 2015 against changes to electoral law that would allow Kabila to remain in power. Opposition over elections erupted again in 2016, when President Kabila signed a deal to delay elections until 2018. Meanwhile, violent conflict continues in the eastern DRC, and some 1.7 million had to flee their homes in 2017 alone.

In the world’s 7th riskiest country for child birth, UNICEF and partners are trying to immunize all women of child-bearing age against tetanus, so that mothers and newborns don’t succumb to the vaccine-preventable, disease.

By Pavithra S Rangan

WAU, South Sudan, 8 March 2018 – Araw Ayom was her first child. His 21-year-old mother gave birth to him, a healthy boy of 2.75 kg, in the early hours of January 29. For three days, she gazed in awe as he slept, cried and suckled for milk. On the fourth day, however, everything changed: he stopped feeding, the muscles in his neck, abdomen, and slowly his entire body, grew stiff. He cried ceaselessly.

Anxious, Araw’s mother ran to the midwife in the village who said that something was wrong and that he had to be rushed to a hospital. The mother walked as fast as she could for hours, from the Roc Roc Dong village in Jur River county to a hospital in the Wau town, clutching the wailing baby in her arms. There, she discovered that Araw had contracted neonatal tetanus.

“She delivered him on the floor of her house littered with animal fecal matter,” says Dr. Marianna, the pediatrician at the St. Daniel Comboni Catholic Hospital’s neonatal ward. “She also said that the baby’s grandmother rubbed cow dung over his umbilical cord, a traditional practice, for it to dry up quickly. These are clear causes for neonatal tetanus, which kills nearly-all affected children, despite treatment.”

For three days, all of the hospital’s limited resources were rallied to stop Araw from slipping away into unconsciousness and ultimately death. However, at 5:30 am on February 4, the seven-day-old passed away. In January, three similar cases of neonatal tetanus have been reported from hospitals in Wau town alone and all three newborns died within days. “These are the few cases that get reported when families are able to travel long distances to the hospital. Many more, I believe, die each day in their homes without knowing the cause for death,” says Dr. Marianna.

In South Sudan, 91 per cent of all pregnant women deliver in their homes without access to a skilled birth attendant. As children and mothers often die without visiting a health facility, only 5 per cent of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) cases are reported. “MNT is a silent killer because within days of a child’s birth in unsanitary conditions, with the use of contaminated instruments and dressing such as razor blades, cow dung or ash, even the healthiest newborns die,” says Paul Oyik Okot, a health officer at the Wau field office.

In South Sudan, which is among 34 countries in the world to be at a high risk of MNT, UNICEF and partners are working to cut its incidence to one in every 1,000 live births. “All efforts are underway to prevent the disease by ensuring that all women of child bearing age are immunized with five doses of the tetanus vaccine. This will protect both the newborn and the mother,” says Paul.

In the most recent campaign, in November 2017, 600 health care workers were divided into teams of three each comprising one vaccinator, one social mobilizer and one recorder. Massive public awareness and vaccination drives were seen taking place across the state.

“Initially, women blatantly refuse to be vaccinated. Myths are easily spread that the vaccine is for family planning and they feared coming to the posts,” says Monika Guido, a social mobilizer in the Hai Jalaba in Wau County. “However, after three rounds of rigorous campaigning and counselling, they are now able to see the benefits of the vaccine. Girls going to school readily took the vaccine and this further instilled confidence in other women.”

Along with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF has trained 201 vaccinators and employed them across Western Bahr El Ghazal, including in highly insecure areas such as Baggari. During the campaign, the vaccination was administered both at health facilities and temporary posts erected in populous locations such as markets and churches for the benefit of women.

After the first dose, the remaining four doses need to be taken with gaps ranging from one month to one year between them. Monika spends at least 45 minutes counselling each woman and her family about taking all five doses of the vaccine for full protection. Beginning at dawn, she works with community and religious leaders so they can help gather women for discussions to raise awareness. “Today, all women in over 200 households here have received at least one dose of the vaccine,” she says.

Besides training and supervising all healthcare workers, UNICEF analyses any adverse events following immunization and closely monitoring the progress. It also supports the installation of cold storage facilities in public health facilities across the state. “It would be very difficult for us to manage without the cold storage facility. Earlier, vaccines had to be brought from the central facility in Wau each day and we ran the risk of unavailability of vaccines in cases of emergency,” says Dr. Marianna.

Despite numerous challenges of access due to persisting insecurity, the third round of the MNT campaign in 2017 reached at least 54 per cent or 165,337 women in Western Bahr El Ghazal. As of 2017, campaigns by UNICEF and partners have ensured at least 48 per cent of all women in the child bearing age in the region have received at least the first dose of tetanus vaccine.

The comprehensive effort at eliminating MNT in South Sudan, including provision of vaccines, cold storage, training and employment of healthcare workers, social mobilizers and vaccinators, is provided by UNICEF Canada.

10,158 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Uganda between the 1st January and 28th of February at an average daily rate of 180 bringing the total number to 1,045,236

Refugees report fleeing primarily out of fear of being killed by fighters from either side of the conflict inside South Sudan. Other reasons of flight include, hunger and lack of social services services.

Despite the ceasefire agreement signed in December 2017 between the warring parties in South Sudan, the humanitarian situation remains unpredictable.

KEY INDICATORS

10,158 Number of new arrivals between 1st January and 28th February 2018

180 Daily average of new arrivals between January and February 2018 respectively.

1,045,236 Total South Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers in Uganda as of 31st January 2018.

Update On Achievements

Operational Context

The number of new arrivals remained relatively low, in the regions covered by the Arua,
Yumbe and Adjumani operations. The trend showed a rise in numbers of new arrivals, from 4,704 in January to 5,454 at the end of February 2018. UNHCR and its partners continued to provide protection and assistance to refugees, and remained poised to adjust their operations in the event of increased arrivals. Insecurity, hunger, malnutrition, lack of access to livelihood opportunity and access to basic services in South Sudan continue to force displacements on the persons. Individuals report fleeing South Sudan for fear of forceful recruitment by the SPLA-IO, and cited an alarming threat of abduction.
However, the overall situation in the Greater Equatorials in South Sudan represents a continuous concern, as insecurity persist.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Currency Exchange Rate: The South Sudanese Pound (SSP) has continued to depreciate. In January 2018, the average exchange rate of US Dollar to SSP stood at SSP 211 and SSP 131 in the parallel and official markets, compared to SSP 190 and SSP 127 in the previous month. During the last 12 months, the parallel exchange rate increased from SSP 101 to 211 (110 percent depreciation) per US Dollar. In January, highest divergence (62 percent) between official and parallel exchange rate was observed since 2016.

• Cereal Prices: A mixed behavior was observed in the price of sorghum in different markets. Compared to the previous month, it decreased by 12 to 20 percent in Konyokonyo, Bor, Bentiu and Yida, while stable price was observed in markets of Kapoeta South, Torit, Wau and Rumbek. On the contrary, price of sorghum increased in Wunrok (67 percent), Aweil (62 percent) and Mingkaman (11 percent).

• Terms of Trade (ToT): Compared to December 2017, disproportionate increase in price of sorghum led the ToT with cereal to deteriorate in Wunrok (30 percent), Kapoeta South (17 percent) and Aweil (seven percent).
  Conversely, increases in price of goat coupled with decreases in price of sorghum contributed to improvements in ToT in Konyokonyo, Mingkaman, Wau, Rumbek and Yida in the range of 40 to 100 percent.

• Fuel Prices: Improved supply of fuel has contributed to narrow fuel price divergence between connected markets. In January 2018, around 70 percent of monitored markets witnessed either stable or decreased fuel prices, compared to the previous month. Depending on currency exchange rate, in January 2018 the price of fuel in most of the monitored markets remained slightly above the equivalent of 1 US Dollar in SSP as per parallel market exchange rate. Compared to January 2017, fuel price in all monitored markets increased by 75 to 260 percent for diesel and 40 to 190 percent for petrol.

• Outlook: As the stock from seasonal harvest gets depleted, households will have to depend more on market purchases to meet their food requirements. Thus, prices of staple food commodities are likely to increase in the coming months.

Faits saillants

• L’insécurité persistante à Djugu empêche des missions humanitaires dans plusieurs zones d’accueil des déplacés.

Aperçu de la situation

La crise de Djugu s’étend petit à petit sur les autres parties de la province de l’Ituri.
L’insécurité qui en découle est déjà perceptible sur l’axe principal, Djugu – Bunia, avec comme corollaire la réduction de l’espace humanitaire.

L’accès se rétrécit de plus en plus pour les organisations humanitaires alors que de nombreuses évaluations sont planifiées en dehors de Bunia ; ce qui risque d’entraver les interventions humanitaires. Pour l’instant, les acteurs humanitaires ont momentanément suspendu tout mouvement à l’intérieur du Territoire de Djugu en attendant l’amélioration des conditions sécuritaires.

Une mission conjointe d’évaluation initialement prévue, du 6 au 9 mars, dans plusieurs localités de Djugu, a été aussi annulée à cause de l’insécurité. Ladite mission visait à faire un état de lieux de la situation de droits de l’homme, la protection des civils, la situation humanitaire, etc.

Le 6 mars, quatre civils ont été tués dans les villages de Loga et Peni à environ 12 km au nord de Bunia. Alors que la veille, une trentaine de personnes ont été tuées dans la localité de Maze (97 km au nord de Bunia). Une dizaine de villages ont également été attaqués par des assaillants, provoquant des déplacements massifs (dont on ne connait pas encore les statistiques) dans les zones encore accessibles. Cet état des choses crée déjà une panique dans la ville de Bunia. Par ailleurs, la MONUSCO s’est déployée à Blukwa (80 km au nord de Bunia), Fataki (85km et Djugu-centre (75 km au nord de Bunia) où se trouvent des milliers de personnes déplacées ayant fui des violences depuis décembre 2017.

Face à l’accroissement de l’effectif de personnes déplacées dans le site de l’Hôpital général de référence de Bunia, un deuxième site a été mis à disposition par les autorités provinciales, dans l’enceinte de l’institut supérieur pédagogique de Bunia (environ 3 Km du centre-ville).
Le premier site abrite environ 4 500 ménages, selon le recensement fait par une organisation locale, Ligue Anti Sida (LASI). Le retour de la saison de pluie et la forte promiscuité exposent déjà des déplacés à des maladies.

Trois enfants sont morts le 5 mars de suite de l’anémie, de la diarrhée et de l’infection respiratoire aigüe, selon LASI. De nombreux autres besoins restent non couverts, dont des bâches pour couvrir une centaine d’abris sur le site de l’Hôpital de Bunia. D’autres soucis se posent en termes des dispositifs sécuritaires autour des sites de déplacés avec une très faible présence policière dans les sites. Les humanitaires ont plaidé auprès des autorités provinciales et la MONUSCO pour un renforcement de la sécurité des personnes déplacées et l’implication de la Protection civile de l’Ituri dans la gestion des sites.

Les violences de Djugu affectent aussi le Territoire d’Aru. Une mission d’évaluation rapide de la situation humanitaire, conduite par le HCR le 15 février dernier, a fait état de la présence d’environ 1 500 personnes déplacées dans quatre villages d’Aru, à plus de 250 km au nord de Bunia. Présentement, les personnes déplacées victimes de violences de la crise de Djugu se trouvent dans quatre des cinq territoires de l’Ituri (Aru, Djugu, Irumu et Mahagi). Au 6 mars, le HCR a enregistré 30 424 réfugiés congolais en Ouganda en raison l’insécurité qui règne dans le Territoire de Djugu depuis décembre.