SITUATION OVERVIEW
In March, South Sudan’s humanitarian crisis was characterized by health emergencies and conflict in different parts of the country. Health partners in South Sudan continued to respond to the Rift Valley fever outbreak in Lakes, measles in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and a suspected outbreak of meningitis in Eastern Equatoria. The outbreak of Rift Valley fever continued to evolve in parts of Lakes, with a total of 40 cases and four deaths reported from Yirol East, Yirol West and Awerial. However, the suspected meningitis outbreak in Eastern Equatoria, first reported on 15 February, started to decline, with only two suspected cases reported in March. A total of 173 cases with 31 deaths (CFR = 17.92 per cent) have been reported, as partners continued investigations into the illness. In Western Equatoria, over 700 internally displaced persons (IDPs) arrived in Nagero County, after trekking hundreds of kilometers for days, fleeing fighting between armed groups in Diem-Zubeir Payam, Raja County, Western Bahr el Ghazal earlier in the month.
As of 31 March, humanitarian agencies in South Sudan assisted over 2.2 million people out of the 6 million targeted in 2018. This included: more than 2 million who received food assistance and emergency livelihoods; nearly 380,000 who were provided with access to clean water; more than 48,000 people assisted with vital non-food items, including blankets and mosquito nets; nearly 80,000 children and pregnant and lactating women provided with emergency nutritional assistance; over 243,000 children supported with access to education in emergencies; more than 153,000 people who received health care services; and more than 185,000 people who received gender-based violence, child protection and mine awareness education services.