REPORTING PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
In Ethiopia, normal activities have resumed. Movements of some national staff of certain ethnic groups have been reduced because of security concerns but plans are underway to allow national staff to return to their duties in the camps.
In Kenya, on 8 March, the Humanitarian Private Sector Partnership Platform for East Africa (HPPP-EA) went live in Kakuma for humanitarian and private sector stakeholders to identify innovative solutions for sustainable socio-economic development. Equity Bank and MasterCard attended an event to launch the platform hosted by World Vision and OCHA.
Heightened food insecurity and violence in parts of South Sudan have resulted in a new influx of refugees crossing the border into Sudan from Northern Bahr El Ghazal State and Warrap State into West Kordofan, South Darfur and East Darfur. The Government of South Sudan is reporting 500,000 seriously food insecure people along the border. The influx into Sudan is expected to continue.
There has been a disproportionate increase in young and female arrivals in Uganda from South Sudan. In Kiryandongo, 91 percent of new arrivals are women and children under the age of eighteen. Refugees report militia activities and intense fighting in Yambio and Jonglei states. Insecurity makes it difficult to harvest crops leading to hunger which is exacerbated by the devaluation of the South Sudanese pound.
In South Sudan, blankets, mats, kitchen sets, jerry cans, buckets, plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, soap were distributed to 8,291 vulnerable internally displaced people in Unity, Upper Nile, Jonglei, Lakes, Western Equatoria and Central Equatoria.
The registration of 11,120 South Sudanese refugees who arrived in DRC was completed on 11 March 2016. Arrivals are mostly from Ezo and Nzara in Doruma, near the Border with South Sudan. A multi-sectorial mission involving UNHCR, CNR, WFP, FAO, UNICEF, ONUSIDA, ADES are jointly identifying a refugee hosting site far enough away from the border to avoid the risk of military enrolment.
KEY FIGURES
22,220 New arrivals in reporting period 4- 18 March 2016
810,780 South Sudanese Refugees (total)
687,006 New arrivals, registered and waiting registration (since 15 Dec. 2013). This number
123,774 Old caseload before 15 Dec. 2013 (covered by the regular budget)
263,000 Refugees in South Sudan 1.7 M Internally Displaced People (IDPs)
REQUIREMENTS 2016: USD 568 M
CONTRIBUTIONS 2016: USD 13 M
2% funded, Gap is 555 M
OPERATIONAL CONTEXT
Overall
The numbers of refugees fleeing from South Sudan continues to increase. The Regional Refugee Response Plan for South Sudan continues to be severely underfunded. Only 2% of Regional Refugee Response Plan for 2016 for South Sudan is currently funded.
Most of the high numbers of arrivals are women and children in need of immediate assistance, including access to health services. Providing food to arrivals continues to be a challenge leading to increased rates of malnutrition amongst new arrivals.