Sudan OCHA bulletin 23: Acute Watery Diarrhoea response driving cases down

The number of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) cases in Sudan has dropped significantly in the past weeks. An estimated 185,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Sudan in 2017. Aid organisations continue to assist people in newly accessible areas of Central Darfur’s Jebel Marra. In Central Darfur, a Return and Reconstruction Commission (RRC) has been established in the state by a presidential decree.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan reports in its latest bulletin that following more than a year of intensive efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health (FmoH), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) and other health partners managed to mitigate the outbreak.

Only 78 new cases and two related deaths were reported from 8 to 14 October, down from a peak of nearly 2,000 new cases at the end of June 2017. Eight states reported active case transmissions and the only state reporting two AWD-related deaths was South Kordofan.

The Sudanese Ministry of Health is considering to end the current outbreak through a renewed Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) campaign in the high-risk states of White Nile, Kassala, West and South Darfur, and South Kordofan.

Nearly 455,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan

The South Sudanese refugee influx into Sudan remains at a steady rate with increasing numbers of new refugees crossing into South Darfur and West Kordofan, according to the latest report from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

An estimated 185,000 refugees have arrived in Sudan this year so far, bringing the total refugee arrivals into Sudan since 2013 to 454,660, reports UNHCR.

If conflict and hunger continues in South Sudan, inter-agency partners anticipate an estimated 200,000 new arrivals in Sudan by the end of the year. The Government of Sudan estimates the number of South Sudanese refugees to be 1.3 million, including those who remained in Sudan following South Sudan’s secession in 2011.

In September, authorities in White Nile State issued new work regulations on livelihoods for refugees, which allow refugees to work for local farmers as labourers. Since then, between 40 to 50 per cent of the refugees in the eight refugee camps in White Nile State have reportedly started working on local farms outside the camps.

In response to the education needs of the children in South and West Kordofan, UNHCR signed an agreement with the respective State Ministries of Education to address education gaps—including teachers’ training, enrolment campaigns, identification of out-of-school children for referral to Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP), and awareness raising with Parent Teacher Associations.

More people receive assistance in Jebel Marra

Aid organisations continue to assist people in newly accessible areas in Jebel Marra.

The World Food Programme (WFP) distributed 594 metric tons (MT) of food to 66,200 people in need in Golo town. In addition, 106.74 MT of nutrition supplies were distributed to 17,790 children under the age of five and nursing mothers.

In response to education needs, Unicef delivered teaching and learning materials to schools in North Jebel Marra locality for 4,000 students. The provision of school feeding/school meals is recommended to encourage children to enrol and remain in school. WFP plans to provide school meals next year.

WHO provided three-months supply of medicines to Golo hospital to cover growing health needs in the area, and recommended opening more primary heath care centres in the Jebel Marra area.

Return and Reconstruction Commission

In Central Darfur, the government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) informed aid organisations that a Return and Reconstruction Commission (RRC) has been established in the state by a presidential decree.

The RRC will oversee voluntary returns and durable solutions, provision of services to returnees, and conducting intention surveys in camps for the displaced.

In addition to the Darfur Development Strategy (DDS) -funded by Qatar and implemented by the UN and partners- RRC reported that the Government of Saudi Arabia has committed to build 60 model villages in Darfur next year.