Highlights
• The situation across South Sudan remains unpredictable and volatile. Fighting broke in Malakal, Upper Nile on 19 March. Clashes also occurred in Leer County in Unity State. Since the start of the crisis, an estimated 708,900 people have been displaced within South Sudan and another 249,000 have fled to neighboring countries.
• Access constraints continue to hamper the humanitarian response in several parts of the country and increase the cost of the response. Despite these obstacles, and in order to reach populations in volatile areas beyond the Protection of Civilians (PoCs) sites in the most affected States, UNICEF has developed a Rapid Response Plan and deployed the first two mobile teams to Akobo and Melut.
• The preparation of new or expanded PoCs in Juba, Malakal, and Minkaman is very slow. With rains fast approaching, congestion in these sites poses major health risks if urgent actions are not taken.
• Through the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM), the UN has received reports of 201 incidents of grave violations affecting at least 926 children (270 boys, 120 girls and 536 of unknown sex) since the eruption of conflict in December 2013, which displays a significant increase of violations against children in armed conflict compared to recent years in South Sudan.
• UNICEF’s Deputy Director of Emergency Programmes, Yasmin Haque, visited South Sudan on 19 March as part of the Emergency Directors mission, to draw attention to needs and enhance the response. Children and women will face an even greater crisis unless the humanitarian situation inside South Sudan improves.
• UNICEF’s capacity to respond to the humanitarian needs in South Sudan is being hampered by lack of funding as only 22% of the funding needs have been received.