HIGHLIGHTS
South Sudanese refugees continue to arrive in Gambella at a daily average rate of 103 people. Akobo, Pagak and Pochalla are the main crossing points.
The total number of new arrivals from South Sudan since 15 December 2013 is now 209,510, including 206,375 in Gambella and 3,135 in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region near Assosa. 90% of the adult population are women and children and 19,339 are unaccompanied/separated children. As at the reporting period, the cumulative figure of the South Sudanese refugee population in Ethiopia reached 273,794, including 64,282 refugees that were in country pre-December 2013.
The Regional Government in Gambella gave the approval for Pugnido II to be developed into a refugee camp to receive newly arriving South Sudanese refugees as well as those already in the reception centers. UNHCR and ARRA will soon start developing the new site which is located some 4km away from the older Pugnido camp.
Of the 5,855 new arrivals at the Pagak reception center, 3,939 people have completed Level 1 registration and are awaiting relocation to a camp while the remaining 1,916 individuals are awaiting level 1 registration. All have benefitted from food distribution which will soon be followed by distribution of core relief items.
1,869 refugees are waiting for Level 1 registration in Akobo Tiergo entry point. UNHCR is undertaking consultation with ARRA for their registration.
420 new arrivals, mainly Anuaks, were registered in Pugnido.
A Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) Mission visited the Gambella refugee operation during the reporting period. The mission visited Jewi and Pugnido refugee camps as well as the Pagak entry point and toured key service areas. They also had meetings with UNHCR,
Implementing Partners as well as with refugees.The Division of International Protection’s (DIP) Monitoring & Evaluation team on Safe from the Start (SFS) Project undertook an evaluation mission to Sub-Office Gambella. The mission evaluated the 45 outputs/indicators for the period August 2014 to March 2015. Key indicators such as shelter, health, nutrition, livelihoods, capacity building, among others, were evaluated.
A total of 13,464 of the refugees relocated from Leitchuor have been verified in Jewi camp and were all issued with new ration cards and the