July 18, 2016.

As of 10 July 2016, over 80,000 South Sudanese refugees are
estimated to have arrived in Sudan since the beginning of the year,
mainly in East and South Darfur, White Nile, and West Kordofan states,
the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in
Sudan reports in its latest weekly bulletin.

More than 30,000 of these refugees are seeking refuge in the Khor
Omer camp for the displaced near the East Darfur capital Ed Daein. The
governmental Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) has identified a suitable
new site in El Kariyo, in Bahr El Arab locality, about 30 kilometres
south of Ed Daein.

Emergency shelter items will be distributed once the relocations are
complete. In June, most of the refugees in Khor Omer received essential
non-food items, and the remaining refugees will receive materials in
July. The health sector is working on improving vaccination coverage and
scaling up campaigns through door-to-door messaging in Khor Omer.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) continues the
tracking and verification of the new arrivals in Khor Omer, where 28,595
refugees have been registered and verified out of the 30,638 tracked
reported cases.

Access to assess needs and provide assistance to South Sudanese
refugees outside Ed Daein remains challenging owing to administrative
restrictions, and capacity to respond across East Darfur remains
constrained because of insufficient staff, especially in places where
staff are addressing newly emerging crises such as the arrival of
refugees in Abu Sinaidira.

El Ferdous

According to an inter-agency initial rapid assessment carried out in
Abu Sinaidira village, El Ferdous locality, on 3 July, about 6,000
people have arrived from Raja, South Sudan. Between 3,000 and 4,000 more
refugees who were reportedly stranded, being too tired and weak to
travel further or lacking transportation to continue, are anticipated to
arrive soon, though there are concerns that the impending onset of
rains may cut off access to people in need in El Ferdous locality.

Gaps in food, nutrition, health, water, sanitation, hygiene and
household items are the priority needs identified. The East Darfur
Ministry of Health delivered medication for the establishment of an
Outpatient Therapeutic Programme to provide nutrition support within the
existing health facility. Unicef distributed a one-week supply of
Plumpy’Nut and BP-5 Compact Food to children who were severely and
moderately malnourished on 4 July. The World Food Programme (WFP) plans
to distribute 103.5 metric tons (MT) of food assistance to the 6,000
South Sudanese refugees on 16 July, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
will distribute essential household items.

Response needed for 17,000 people in Tur

Following attacks by militiamen on Tur village and the Tur East site
for new displaced in Central Darfur on 20-21 June, 17,000 people have
returned to their original locations, and are reportedly in need of
humanitarian assistance. According to the preliminary reports of a
Unamid team which visited Tur on 23-24 June, the priority needs are
food, water, sanitation, shelter, and health care.

Although the WFP completed a food distribution to 12,000 displaced
affected by the violence, no independent verification exercise has been
carried out as yet to determine the exact number of people in need.
Unamid has expressed the urgent need for an inter-agency humanitarian
assessment in Tur.

Support for displaced families in West Darfur

An emergency response targeting newly displaced families in the Um
Tajok area in Kereinik locality, West Darfur, was carried out by the
Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) on 30 June, with support from the
Qatari Red Crescent Society.

Of the estimated 550 families who were displaced following fighting
between pastoralists and nomadic herders in Um Tajok on 22 June, 100
families were provided with basic food items, and the families are being
supported by the host community. The SRCS also provided drugs and
medical supplies to the health clinic in Um Tajok. As yet, a needs
assessment has not been carried out. A committee of national NGOs formed
by the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) is planning to carry out an
assessment mission, and support the humanitarian response.

Flooding expected

Although the 2015/16 El Nino has dissipated, the Famine Early Warning
Systems Network (FEWS Net) has identified a 55-70 per cent chance of
the La Niña climatic phenomenon occurring in Sudan by the end of 2016,
with increased risk of flooding across Sudan.

According to the Sudan Meteorological Authority (SMA), there is an 80
percent change of above average to average rainfall over the 2016 rainy
season (June to September/October). FEWS Net has anticipated average to
above average 2016-2017 crop production and good pasture conditions,
with positive impacts to food security for poor rural families through
improved household food production, access to seasonal wild foods,
purchasing power and availability of livestock products.

Flooding in Sudan normally occurs from June to October, and according
to the World Food Programme (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) El Niño Seasonal Calendar, flooding in parts of East Africa
including Sudan may occur from July to November this year.

Flash floods and heavy rains in June have already damaged and
destroyed over 2,500 houses in Sennar State, reportedly affecting almost
15,000 people so far, and the Civil Defence and the Sudanese Red
Crescent Society have provided an initial response to affected people.
Flooding has also been reported in parts of Blue Nile, White Nile and
Gedaref states. According to HAC, State Emergency Committees have been
activated in Blue Nile, El Gezira, North Kordofan, River Nile, Sennar
and White Nile states. 


SOURCE: Dabanga sudan