Introduction
Severe levels of food insecurity, displacement, and minimal access to humanitarian services have been reported across Canal/Pigi County, Jonglei State throughout 2017. Round 21 of the Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System (FSNMS) suggested that households (HHs) in Canal/Pigi County remained food insecure.1 However, to further explore displacement, food security and livelihoods, and access to humanitarian services in Canal/Pigi County, REACH conducted a rapid assessment between February 25 and March 4 in Diel Payam, an IDP catchment site for HHs displaced from multiple locations in Greater Upper Nile.2 Data was collected through 13 focus group discussions (FGDs) with over 70 participants disaggregated by gender and displacement origin, 5 Key Informant (KI) interviews with local leaders, traders, and humanitarian actors, and direct observation of 3 locations in Diel Payam, including Diel, Nor and Wietang Bomas.
Key Findings
• Approximately 22,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) arrived in Diel Payam, between February and March 2017 as a result of increasing insecurity near Canal, Khorfulus and Kaldak Payams in Canal/Pigi County and further insecurity on the eastern bank of the White Nile River, including Owauchi and Obai settlements. There are reportedly no host community HHs in the area.
• The population’s access to humanitarian services is reported to be severely limited; only two NGOs are permanently operating in the payam with only one permanent basic health facility functioning. In addition a bi-weekly mobile clinic is run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
• The majority of IDPs fled with no supplies and are living in temporary shelters with minimal access to core relief items (CRIs).
• Although access to land is high, cultivation is minimal due to lack of tools and supplies. Further, market capacity is severely limited due to a lack of credit for traders to purchase goods in primary markets.
• KIs reported that HHs have little to no access to clean water and open defecation is practiced by nearly all of the community, causing concerns of a possible outbreak of water borne diseases during the rainy season.
• Health, nutrition, NFIs/Shelter and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) were reported as the top concerns for the area by FGD participants and KIs.