Sudan OCHA bulletin 21: 105,000 people need assistance in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra

Findings of an inter-agency mission carried out from 10 to 15 September to Deribat town, as well as Jabra and Kidineer areas in East Jebel Marra locality, South Darfur State indicate that an estimated 105,000 people living in 46 villages are in need of assistance.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports in its latest biweekly humanitarian bulletin that This includes 62,000 people from the host community; 42,000 protracted internally displaced persons (IDPs); and 1,000 returnees. This is the first time aid agencies have been able to access Deribat in several years. Mission findings and recommendations

The UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) estimated that 18,013 children under five years (7,140 IDP children; 163 returnee children; and 10,710 children from the host community) in Deribat administrative unit, Kidineer and Jabra are in need of nutrition services, in addition to a further 1,065 children in Kidineer and Jabra return villages.

According to UNICEF, poor health awareness and hygiene practices, lack of health and nutrition services, poverty and the high cost of healthcare are affecting the nutrition of children. UNICEF recommended starting nutrition services to treat severe and moderate acute malnutrition cases; provide Vitamin “A” and micronutrients supplements; and raise the awareness of mothers on infant and young child feeding practices.

There are two existing health centres in the Deribat area. One is operated by the national health insurance company and is staffed with 12 health workers and offers free health services only to those with insurance. The other health centre—which was built by the Darfur Regional Authority—is not functioning.

There are no regular routine immunisation services provided in Deribat, except for occasional national immunisation day and routine acceleration activities. The most common health problems are acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and malaria for children, while obstetric complications are the main reproductive health problems. Access to skilled birth attendants is a challenge. Despite the presence of skilled midwives, local communities resort to AWD response ongoing throughout the country

According to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and WHO, as of 8 September 2017, 33,934 cases of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD)—including 774 related deaths—have been reported in the 18 states in the country since August 2016. AWD is affecting all demographics, with females constituting 54 per cent of the cases and children under five years of age accounting for 8.1 per cent.

The FMoH is leading government efforts—in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and partners—to minimise the spread of AWD

through activities in public health capacity-building; case management; medicine and medical supplies delivery; water quality control and chlorination of water; vector control; hygiene and sanitation promotion and community engagement.

AWD response planned for East Jebel Marra

A recent mission carried out by the FMoH, WHO and community leaders to East Jebel Marra on 10 September identified key AWD interventions for the area. These include establishing four new emergency health facilities in Liba, Abu Horaira, Feina and Dowa needed to serve 73,400 people; establishing treatment centres in each of the four locations; improving water supplies; and carrying out hygiene promotions and clean-up campaigns. UNICEF is currently chlorinating water sources in Nertiti and Thur which will benefit about 20,000 people.

WHO support to AWD response

WHO supported the training of 66 medical staff on AWD case management in White Nile, Central Darfur and South Kordofan states, while 119 medical staff in Gedarif, Red Sea, South Darfur, West Darfur, East Darfur, White Nile, Sennar and River Nile states completed on-the-job training. These medical staff work in 51 health facilities and treatment centres providing medical services to an estimated 750,000 people.

WHO is also supporting 17 treatment centres with operational costs for medical staff, medicine and medical supplies in Darfur, White Nile, Gedarif, Kassala, Red Sea, and South Kordofan. These centres cover medical services to about 1.9 million people.

For water quality control, WHO checked 970 water samples, of which 667 samples were found fit for human consumption within WHO guidelines. The samples were collected from water sources serving 1.68 million people. In addition, vector control campaigns were carried out in 2,573 breeding sites in nine states covering 23 localities and benefitting about 129,800 people.

UNICEF support to AWD interventions

UNICEF continues providing interventions for AWD affected populations and people at risk throughout the country, according to the UNICEF Sudan Humanitarian Situation Report for August 2017.

UNICEF supported the activities of Ministry of Health to respond efficiently to the AWD outbreak through the operationalisation of 25 Oral Rehydration Treatment Corners in West Darfur, South Kordofan, North Kordofan and Kassala states, benefiting a total of 7,500 people in August. UNICEF also supported the training of 200 community members on AWD prevention methods in East Darfur.

Additionally, more than 3.7 million people in affected and at-risk areas were provided with clean drinking water through the chlorination of more than 1,300 water sources—by the Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) project and the Urban Water Authority (UWA), with UNICEF support—in nine affected states. Around 13,000 people in East, South, North and West Darfur were provided with improved sanitation facilities through construction of 765 household latrines and 45 communal latrines. In addition, hygiene promotion and awareness-raising interventions were also carried out in these states through mass media programmes; hygiene and cleaning promotion campaigns; community cinema; and household visits.

In White Nile state, 50,000 people now have access to an improved water supply through the construction of four water treatment plants.