OCHA Sudan bulletin 11: Aid for new displaced from Jebel Marra, challenges remain

Almost two months after the latest bout of hostilities started in Jebel Marra, people continue to flee their homes, and seek shelter and assistance in several locations in North, Central and South Darfur, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan reports in its latest weekly bulletin.

As of 13 March, the total number of reported displaced is 110,273 people. More than 96,000 of them received emergency food and other forms of assistance.

About 95 percent of the new displaced (close to 105,000 people) fled to North Darfur. There are also 4,000 newly displaced people reported in Central Darfur and another 1,390 in South Darfur. 

There are also unconfirmed reports of up to an additional 80,000 displaced from Jebel Marra in Central Darfur. The UN and partners have been unable to verify this displacement owing to lack of access despite several requests.

Access to water main challenge in Sortony

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of displaced from Jebel Marra who have taken refuge near the Unamid team site in North Darfur’s Sortony remains at 62,129 people.

With the exception of food and health, there are gaps in most of the sectors. People are currently receiving 1.5 litres per person per day, which is far below the Sudan Emergency Response Framework (ERF) standard of 7.5 litres per person per day. So far, the drilling of boreholes has been unsuccessful and Unicef is looking into other options such as bringing in water by lorries from Kabkabiya town. Progress has been made in latrine construction and health promotion activities but more needs to be done.

Sanitation challenges in Tawila

According to IOM, there are 36,375 people displaced from Jebel Marra taking refuge in the Tawila area. While access to clean water is better in Tawila compared to Sortony, sanitation services are below standards.

The Sudanese National Planning Organization (NPO), with the support of IOM, constructed the 70 latrines planned for the Rwanda camp for the displaced. This brings the total number of latrines constructed to 300 resulting in a one latrine to 100 people ratio, which is well below the Sudan ERF standard of one latrine per 50 people.

Kabkabiya, Shangil Tobaya

As of 12 March, about 1,470 of the reported number of are 2,649 displaced people in Kabkabiya in North Darfur received emergency shelter and household supplies.

There are 3,668 people displaced from Jebel Marra taking refuge in the Shadad camp for the displaced in Shangil Tobaya. Aid organisations plan to strengthen nutrition and health facilities to accommodate the new arrivals. All the newly displaced require shelter materials.

About 18,000 South Sudanese arrive in East Darfur’s Khor Omer camp

Aid agencies in East Darfur report that South Sudanese citizens continue to arrive in Khor Omer camp near Ed Daein, capital of East Darfur, driven by food shortages in South Sudan. The overall reported number of South Sudanese in the state is close to 22,000 people.

As of 13 March, the number of South sudanese refugees in the Khor Omer camp has reached 18,082 people, according to the registration committee. About 5,000 of them have received one-month food rations.

The Water and Sanitation Department (WES) has increased daily water pumping hours by four hours, which is the maximum operating capacity of the water station in the camp. Further water supplies need to be brought in by lorry on a daily basis to meet water needs but aid organisations working in water assistance in Ed Daein town do not have the capacity to provide this support. There are also sanitation concerns and about 790 communal latrines and 300 cartons of soap are also required to meet people’s needs. About 18,500 people need emergency household supplies and about 20,000 need shelter materials urgently.

North Darfur's Wadi El Kou project promotes early recovery

The UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Wadi El Kou project, funded by the EU, aims to promote cooperation over natural resources and improve the lives of conflict-affected people in North Darfur.

The project contributes to strengthening community ownership of natural resources by stabilising eroded wadi (seasonal river) banks to reduce sand creeping onto fertile land, setting-up community forests to promote reforestation, and establishing agricultural practices, which combine the cultivation and conservation of trees to improve soil fertility.

In 2016, over 50,000 people will benefit from the Wadi El Kou Catchment Management project. Besides direct involvement in the project, WFP is supporting the implementation of priorities identified in UNEP's Community Action Plans as defined by the local community in the project’s 34 village councils. The purpose of these action plans is to help communities articulate, their most pressing environmental concerns, which will guide the interventions of relevant institutions in North Darfur.  

Read the full OCHA bulletin here