The disaster
The internal conflict that started in the capital city of Juba in South Sudan on 15 December rapidly spread to other parts of the country, with worst affected states being Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile state. The conflict has resulted in casualties, wounded and missing among the affected population and had an overall impact on the situation in the country, creating long term humanitarian consequences for the affected population, including massive displacement in the country and into neighbouring countries (Uganda,
Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya).
An agreement for cessation of hostilities was signed by the involved parties on 23 January 2014; however the situation remains tense and unpredictable, in particular in the Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile States.
At the peak of the fighting, the hospitals in Juba, Bentiu, and Malakal struggled to cope with the influx of wounded people. Because of insecurity and lack of means of transport, people in need of health care (including wounded) faced difficulties in reaching the healthcare facilities. Infrastructure and houses have been destroyed on large scale.
Hundreds of thousands of people been displaced in most states of the country. The latest estimates from UNOCHA indicate that over 700,000 persons are displaced in South Sudan, with another 145,000 having fled to neighbouring countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya). The largest concentration of internally displaced people (IDPs) in South Sudan is in Awerial county in Lakes state, where tens of thousands of people have gathered after fleeing fighting in Jonglei.
The displaced communities suffer from food and water shortages, and poor sanitation, which heightens the risk of diseases and epidemics. With the instability hindering the timely delivery of aid and resulting in the reduced presence of aid agencies in the country, the humanitarian situation continues to be precarious. The situation in Malakal has worsened again, and the situation remains highly volatile and unpredictable. The impending rain season in April/May is expected to further complicate the humanitarian operations, where access to certain areas will be extremely difficult.
Given this situation this Emergency Appeal seeks CHF 4,702,572 to enable the IFRC to support the Red Cross and Red Crescent response to improve the living conditions of around 105,080 conflict affected persons for 12 months by providing shelter, safe water, sanitation and hygiene awareness, emergency health and health education. Additionally, the operation will contribute to significantly increase the capacity of the South Sudan Red Cross to carry out the emergency operation and enhance their preparedness for disaster response. The response articulated here reflects the information available at this point of the evolving operation, and will be adjusted based on the actual situation and further information from more detailed assessments.