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Sudan – Complex Emergency
Situation Report #9, - (FY) 2009 June 05, 2009
Background
In 2009, Sudan continues to cope with the effects of conflict, displacement, and insecurity countrywide. Since 2003, a
complex emergency in Sudan’s western region of Darfur has affected more than 4.7 million people, including nearly 2.7
million internally displaced persons (IDPs). In Darfur, conflict among armed opposition factions, the Sudanese Armed
Forces (SAF), militias, and ethnic groups remains ongoing. According to the U.N., violence has displaced
approximately 317,000 individuals within Darfur and to eastern Chad since January 2008. Simultaneously,
humanitarian agencies have experienced reduced access to affected populations since 2006 due to increased insecurity,
attacks on aid workers, and bureaucratic impediments to program implementation.
The former Government of Sudan, led by the National Congress Party (NCP), and the southern-based Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement (SPLM) continue to implement the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) through the
joint Government of National Unity (GNU). The formation of the GNU officially ended more than two decades of
north–south conflict. During the conflict, famine, fighting, and disease killed more than 2 million people, forced an
estimated 600,000 Sudanese to seek refuge in neighboring countries, and displaced an additional 4 million individuals
within Sudan. The U.N. estimates that since 2005, more than 2.2 million people displaced during the conflict have
returned to Southern Sudan and the Three Areas of Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Abyei, taxing scarce resources
and weak infrastructure. In eastern Sudan, the GNU and the Eastern Front opposition coalition signed the Eastern
Sudan Peace Agreement in 2006. However, the area remains underdeveloped and has experienced slow recovery
following decades of conflict.
Since March 2009, humanitarian agencies have encountered reduced access to affected populations in Darfur and the
Three Areas following the GNU-mandated expulsion of 13 international organizations and closure of three national
humanitarian agencies. The expulsions have resulted in a significant reduction in humanitarian capacity in Darfur and
have threatened key peace dividends and recovery programs in the Three Areas.
The U.S. Government (USG) is the largest bilateral donor to Sudan and has contributed more than $4 billion for
humanitarian programs in Sudan and eastern Chad since FY 2004. The USG continues to support the implementation
of the CPA and joins the international community in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Darfur. On October
16, 2008, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Alberto M. Fernandez renewed the disaster declaration for the complex emergency in
Sudan for FY 2009.
NUMBERS AT A GLANCE
| IDP's in Sudan |
| From Southern Sudan |
2.7 million |
UNHCR1 – 10/08 |
| In Darfur |
2.7 million |
OCHA – 12/08 |
| In Eastern Sudan |
168,000 |
U.N – 09/07 |
| Sudanese Refugees |
| From Darfur |
250,000 |
UNHCR – 6/08 |
| From Southern Sudan |
138,270 |
UNHCR – 2/09 |
| Returnees to Southern Sudan |
323,853 |
UNHCR – 3/09 |
| Refugees in Sudan |
| From Eritrea, Chad, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), and other nations: |
257,980 |
UNHCR – 12/08 |
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FY 2009 HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED TO DATE
| USAID/OFDA Assistance to Sudan and eastern Chad |
$54,021,963 |
| USAID/FFP3 Assistance to Sudan and eastern Chad |
$379,437,600 |
| State/PRM4 Assistance to Sudan and eastern Chad |
$70,405,378 |
| Total USAID and State Humanitarian Assistance to Sudan and eastern Chad |
$503,864,941 |
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CURRENT SITUATION IN DARFUR
International humanitarian organizations continue to
address gaps due to the GNU-mandated expulsion of
13 international organizations and closure of three
national humanitarian agencies. In addition, ongoing
fighting in North Darfur and increasing cross-border
tensions with Chad have contributed to continuing
insecurity in Darfur.
During May, three U.S. delegations, including the U.S.
Special Envoy to Sudan, Major General J. Scott
Gration (Ret.); a U.S. congressional delegation,
including Senators Johnny Isakson, (R-GA) and Bob
Corker, (R-TN); and the USAID/DCHA acting
Assistant Administrator, met in Darfur and Khartoum
with senior GNU officials, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), international donors, and other
parties to continue to address the need to maintain an
efficient humanitarian operation in Sudan.
Security and Humanitarian Access
From May 14 to 18, following international news
reports of increased military activity by armed
opposition groups and the Chadian National Army in
eastern Chad, the GNU reported three air strikes in
West Darfur by the Government of Chad. In addition,
violence during the month of May between the Justice
and Equality Movement (JEM) armed group and SAF
resulted in further civilian displacement around Um
Baru, North Darfur, near the border with Chad.
Humanitarian agencies are concerned regarding lack of
access to camp residents and worsening conditions in
Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur. In early May,
Kalma camp IDP leaders agreed to permit new
organizations to commence health and water,
sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities to replace
the activities of four expelled NGOs. However, the
three NGOs remain unable to provide services to the
camp until completion of meetings with the office of
the wali, or governor, which have been delayed for at
least two weeks. Relief agencies report that medical
clinics lack adequate medicines and camp residents are
often required to wait in line for at least two days to
obtain clean water.
Agriculture and Food Security
According to the results of the West Darfur postharvest
assessment conducted in February, the cereal
harvest has been nearly double the amount harvested in
each of the last two years. However, the food balance
analysis indicates a continued cereal deficit of
approximately 98,000 metric tons (MT), representing
32 percent of the annual consumption requirement in
West Darfur. Aid agencies continue to monitor the
situation.
In May, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP)
commenced a special operation in Darfur to provide
continued food assistance to beneficiaries previously
served by expelled NGOs. According to WFP, four of
the 13 expelled NGOs were WFP partners delivering
approximately 35 percent of general food distributions
in Darfur. The special operation is scheduled to take
place from May 2009 to November 2010 and includes
the provision of new satellite offices and
accommodation facilities in remote and urban areas.
To date in FY 2009, USAID has contributed more than
$225 million to assist vulnerable individuals in Darfur
through WFP.
WFP reported postponing the May food aid
distributions in Kutum locality and northern areas of
North Darfur due to ongoing hostilities in the area
affecting an estimated 300,000 food aid beneficiaries.
Humanitarian organizations plan to resume food
distributions when the security situation stabilizes.
According to USAID field staff, in May, farmers near
Zam Zam IDP camp in North Darfur requested to meet
with the humanitarian community regarding the loss of
farmland and agricultural production due to expansion
of the camp in January and February 2009. As
planting season approaches, the host community in
Zam Zam area seeks compensation for lost land and
has proposed plans to force IDPs off the land if the
Sudanese government or relief agencies do not provide
compensation. Although designed to host 65,000
individuals, Zam Zam IDP camp currently holds more
than 90,000 individuals, according to U.N. estimates.
USAID continues to monitor the situation.
Nutrition
According to a May WFP report, nutrition assessments
in Darfur highlight global acute malnutrition levels
beyond the emergency threshold of 15 percent and
indicate the continued need for large-scale
humanitarian assistance. WFP has worked to address
the most urgent needs and guarantee the uninterrupted
supply of life-saving food distributions. However, the
report stated that WFP lacks capacity to provide
essential components of humanitarian programs
previously provided by expelled NGOs including
independent monitoring and assessment, analysis and
targeting activities, and multi-sector approaches
sensitive to the local context. The U.N. Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) has provided significant support to
nutrition activities in Darfur, including incentives to
nutrition workers previously employed by expelled
NGOs; however, these short-term gap-filling initiatives
are not intended to become long-term solutions. To
date in FY 2009, USAID has provided more than $5
million to support nutrition activities benefitting more
than 4.4 million people in Darfur.
Health
On May 27, the U.N. World Health Organization
(WHO) reported that cases of meningococcal
meningitis in South Darfur had recently decreased. To
date, medical staff have reported 237 meningitis cases
including 13 deaths since relief agencies first began to
report cases in February. In Nyala, South Darfur, a
USAID health partner completed three rounds of
meningitis vaccination campaigns in Al Salam, Otash,
and El Sereif IDP camps. Health officials have not
reported any further suspected meningitis cases in the
three camps.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
According to USAID field staff, the U.N. continues to
assist the Sudanese government in addressing
immediate gaps in the provision of water; however,
relief organizations note that short-term gap-filling
measures are unsustainable. On June 1, UNICEF
reported that 18 to 20 motorized water pumps that
provided 60 percent of water in Kalma IDP camp were
not functioning due to lack of fuel or supplies.
UNICEF expressed concern that camp residents may
begin using untreated water from the wadi, or seasonal
riverbed, increasing the potential for disease outbreaks,
particularly during the upcoming rainy season.
CURRENT SITUATION IN SUDAN,
EXCLUDING DARFUR
During 2009, Southern Sudan has experienced a
significant increase in inter-ethnic conflict, including
inter-ethnic fighting in Jonglei and Southern Kordofan
states and continued Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
attacks resulting in widespread displacement. On June
1, the U.N. Special Representative to Sudan indicated
that in recent months, violent conflict in Southern
Sudan has killed more individuals than violence in
Darfur.
Security and Humanitarian Access
In Southern Kordofan State, relief agencies reported in
recent months that competition for scarce water
resources and grazing land, as well as the proliferation
of small arms, have exacerbated tensions between
multiple ethnic groups. To date, local and international
efforts to mitigate the conflict through a series of
reconciliation conferences have failed to produce
lasting results.
In early May, the U.N. reported that authorities
deployed a local police force to Abu Junuk,
approximately 120 km north of Kadugli, Southern
Kordofan State, to prevent further clashes between
multiple warring ethnic groups. Subsequently, the
warring groups attacked the police force and fighting
has continued through the month of May.
On May 25, USAID partners reported that increasing
security incidents in April and May occurring as a
result of conflict between ethnic groups in the Lagawa
locality, Southern Kordofan State, had interrupted
water projects. These water projects aim to provide
balanced increases in access to safe drinking water for
all ethnic groups in the area.
Agriculture and Food Security
According to WFP, a March–April interagency rapid
food security assessment of the rural areas of Southern
Kordofan State indicated that up to 70 percent of the
rural population in the state was food insecure. The
assessment determined that returnee households were
less food secure than resident households. In order to
mitigate the situation, the assessment team
recommended the provision of food assistance to food
insecure households, particularly in communities with
high returnee populations and during the April–
September hunger period.
In May, humanitarian agencies reported areas of food
insecurity in Southern Sudan, particularly in Jonglei
State, due to food deficits typical during the May–
September hunger season and worsening inter-ethnic
conflict. In addition, during the week of May 25, the
U.N. Resident Coordinator’s Office reported that
Médecins Sans Frontières/Belgium (MSF/B) expressed
concern regarding the food security situation in Pibor
County, Jonglei State. MSF/B reported that in addition
to the depletion of food stocks in the market, interethnic
clashes prevented crop planting in many
communities in April. MSF/B continues to monitor
the situation.
On May 4, the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning
Systems Network (FEWS NET) estimated that
between 450,000 and 550,000 individuals in Southern
Sudan remained food-insecure. FEWS NET indicated
that the food-insecure population may increase to 1
million individuals by July, typically the midpoint of
the annual hunger gap period. WFP, USAID’s primary
implementing partner for food aid, continues to
provide emergency food assistance to affected
communities throughout Southern Sudan.
Nutrition
According to the 2008/2009 Annual Needs and
Livelihoods and Anthropometric Assessment Survey
Report, Warab, Jonglei, and Unity states are currently
experiencing global acute malnutrition rates above the
emergency threshold of 15 percent. In addition,
UNICEF reported that the number of children under
five years of age at rehabilitation sites in Pibor County,
Jonglei State suffering from acute malnutrition from
January to April was nearly two-thirds greater than
during the same time period in 2008. Relief agencies
continue to monitor the situation.
Health
Humanitarian agencies reported more than 12,000
cases of acute watery diarrhea (AWD) in Northern
Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile, Unity, Jonglei, Central
Equatoria, Eastern Eqatoria, and Warab states between
January and May 10. In response, UNICEF provided
30 cholera kits to treat 130,000 cholera cases.
On May 19, USAID implementing partner GOAL
reported an outbreak of AWD in Northern Bahr el
Ghazal State, including 72 cases between April 28 and
May 11. GOAL staff conducted an assessment and
identified operational constraints, including lack of
cholera beds, chlorine powder for disinfection and
water purification, and transport to health centers. In
addition, health staff determined that a delay in
seeking treatment contributed to at least four patient
deaths. On May 19, GOAL noted that health partners
had contained the outbreak; however, staff
highlighted concern for potential outbreaks during the
upcoming rainy season.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)
According to a January U.N. report, more than 50
percent of the population of Southern Sudan, compared
to a national average of 44 percent, lack access to
improved drinking water. During the last six years,
USAID has provided nearly $50 million for WASH
activities in Southern Sudan, including improvements
to rural water sources such as boreholes and hand
pumps and development of town water systems and
water catchments for cattle. In 2008/2009, USAID
plans to maximize the impact of funding in the water
sector through the North–South Water Initiative, which
aims to link water investments to local peace and
reconciliation initiatives. The North–South Water
Initiative also aims to promote a conflict-sensitive
approach to water programs by strengthening linkages
with local authorities and other initiatives, involving
nomadic communities in water programs, and
employing a cross-border approach.
UNHCR reports that approximately 35,000 refugees
and 160,000 IDPs have arrived in Blue Nile State since
the 2005 signing of the CPA. According to UNICEF,
only 11 percent of the Blue Nile State population has
access to sanitation and hygiene facilities. Access has
decreased further following the early March expulsions
of two international organizations and dissolution of
one national organization, which provided significant
WASH services. Between May 25 and 28, USAID
field staff traveled to Blue Nile State to assess the
humanitarian situation and monitor WASH programs.
In response to local needs, USAID partners work with
Blue Nile officials to provide hygiene kits, latrines,
boreholes, and training to local water committees.
Population Movements
During May, humanitarian organizations expressed
serious concern regarding increased inter-ethnic
violence in the greater Upper Nile Region, particularly
in Jonglei State. According to the U.N., as of May 17,
fighting in Jonglei had displaced approximately 22,000
individuals throughout the state. Through USAID
support, the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) is providing emergency relief supplies to
affected families in Jonglei State. USAID expects the
current emergency response will remain ongoing for a
minimum of two months.
Since September 2008, renewed LRA attacks in
Northern DRC and Southern Sudan have forced 17,000
Congolese refugees into Central and Western
Equatoria states and displaced 36,000 others within the
two states. Secondary displacements have continued
as multiple LRA attacks occur in the same areas. IOM
estimates that LRA attacks and the resource strain
caused by the influx of IDPs and refugees have
severely affected an additional 50,000 people residing
in host communities.
During the week of May 25, the U.N. Resident
Coordinator’s Office reported that renewed LRA
attacks triggered secondary and tertiary IDP
movements and the continued arrival of refugees.
According to the U.N., as of May 11, UNHCR had
registered more than 17,000 refugees and continued to
verify those refugees already registered. While a
majority of refugees now reside in three sites
throughout Central and Western Equatoria states,
many others remain in areas of original arrival which
do not receive regular assistance.
Between May 7 and 14, staff from USAID and
State/PRM assessed the situation in LRA-affected
areas of Central and Western Equatoria states. The
team met with U.N. agencies, local officials, refugee
leaders, and NGOs in Lasu, Yei, and Juba, Central
Equatoria State, and Makpandu and Yambio, Western
Equatoria State, and determined that the refugee and
IDP response was gradually improving. The team
recommended planning for at least a 12-month
response and has mobilized resources to support a
rapid increase in the current humanitarian effort.
Returns
According to a May 27 Internal Displacement
Monitoring Center report, an estimated 10 percent of
all return movements in Southern Sudan have been
unsuccessful, and inter-communal violence has caused
significant new displacement. In addition, Khartoum
continues to host approximately 1.2 million IDPs
primarily from Southern Sudan. While a significant
number of IDPs have returned from Khartoum to
Southern Sudan since the signing of the CPA, a
majority of the remaining IDPs do not intend to return
to areas of origin.
According to WFP, the joint U.N.–IOM–Government
of South Sudan south–south organized repatriation of
nearly 2,500 IDPs, commenced in April. The
returnees assisted in the operation are a part of the
6,100 total IDPs that IOM has repatriated in 2009.
On May 17, the U.N. reported that returns resulting
from May 2008 displacement from Abyei area remain
at low levels. Humanitarian agencies report few IDP
returns from Agok area, south of Abyei, mostly due to
poor livelihood opportunities for potential returnees.
However, relief organizations report continuing
patterns of temporary return or IDPs sheltering both in
areas of displacement and areas of return.
USAID Sudan Strategy Statement (pdf,469kb)
USAID Monthly Update - November 2007 (pdf,505kb)
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