Summary: CHF 170,000 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 11 February, 2014 to South Sudan in refugee camps in Arua and Adjumani districts in Northern Uganda. The background for the emergency is rooted in the eruption of a conflict in the Republic of South Sudan from mid-December 2013.
The insecurity and violence has provoked a mass population displacement within South Sudan and into neighbouring countries and Uganda has received the main bulk of the refugees. The number of refugees in the operational area are still expected to increase as the insecurity continues despite the signing a Peace Agreement. Based on an inter-agency assessment and discussions with involved agencies,
URCS and the IFRC prepared this emergency appeal to support tens of thousands of people in dire need of emergency medical care, shelter, food, water and adequate sanitation facilities.
URCS, through its branches in Arua and Adjumani and supported by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has been supporting the displaced populations with Restoring Family Links (RFL) activities. Furthermore, with support of the appeal URCS has initiated hygiene promotion activities in the camp, and is in the final stage of rolling out programme activities, including the deployment of two WatSan kit 5, emergency shelter provision, communicable disease prevention and an ambulance for referrals.
The IFRC has deployed almost all delegates in the Operations Support Unit composed of an Operations Support Delegate, a Logistics Delegate and a Project Accountant for operational support and management of the operation. The role of the unit is to provide technical support to Uganda RCS in relation to current and potentially upcoming emergency operations, especially in the areas of finance and procurement.
Norwegian Red Cross has pledged a WatSan delegate with the deployment of a WatSan Kit 5 which is expected to arrive in Uganda end of February 2014. Swedish Red Cross has committed to deploy a delegate for one month to function as the Operations Support Coordinator during recruitment, whereas British Red Cross support with a Logistics Delegate. Discussions are on-going with several movement partners for support towards the emergency appeal.