Description of the disaster
The conflict between government and opposition forces in Juba broke out on 15 December 2013 and quickly spread to other locations in South Sudan. Despite repeated ceasefire agreements and peace negotiations, the conflict still continues, leaving 1.9 million people dependent on emergency assistance within South Sudan and resulting severe humanitarian crises within the country and in the borderland of neighbouring countries. Since December 2013 up to 1.6 million people were internally displaced whereas more than 771,340 South Sudanese had moved across borders, including 225,145 into Ethiopia. In total, Ethiopia hosts approximately 289,071 South Sudanese refugees of which 91% are women and children, 71% of the adult population are women and 85% of the registered refugees live in camps (UNHCR Update, 30 October 2015).
The majority of displaced South Sudanese have sought refuges in Ethiopia’s Gambella Regional State through three border entry points citing fighting and food insecurity as the main reasons for their flight, in addition to citing human rights abuses and lack of basic services in their latest area of residence. Many refugees have gone through several rounds of displacement before arriving in Ethiopia.
As the humanitarian situation within South Sudan continues to deteriorate, Gambella continues to be a destination for civilians fleeing the war, food insecurity and violence. Despite attempts to sustain the large refugee operations in Gambella with essential services and sustainable solutions for protracted crisis, the living conditions and needs for provision of life saving humanitarian assistance to those refugees already arrived in Ethiopia’s Gambella region, remains at a critical stage.