This is the sixth OCHA Flash Update on the situation in Juba, which provides a summary/overview of the situation and response. This will be the last OCHA daily Flash Update.
On 16 July, partners reported that there have been new arrivals into several of the internally displaced people (IDP) sites, including both UN sites (UN House and Tongping) and Don Bosco. Following re-assessment of the figures in the two UN sites, the number of people displaced following the recent fighting in Juba has increased to nearly 12,800, including nearly 10,140 at the UNMISS sites and around 2,660 outside. A night time registration will be conducted at Don Bosco on 16 July to determine the number of new arrivals sleeping in the site.
The absence of food in the host community, particularly near UN House, is a concern for nutrition and food security and livelihoods partners. Markets remain limited in many locations, and the looting of both WFP and FAO warehouses has impacted on availability of stocks. Services are resuming at six Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme (TSFP) sites in Juba, which were disrupted by the fighting, and Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP)/TSFP routine services resumed in UN House Protection of Civilians (PoC) site on 16 July. Nutrition screenings have been undertaken in UN House (15 July) and Tongping (ongoing), with results as follows: UN House - 111 new arrival IDP children screened, of which three were severely acute malnourished (proxy SAM 2.7%) and six moderate acute malnourished (proxy MAM 5.4%); overall proxy global acute malnutrition (GAM) of 8.1%; Tongping - 387 under-five children screened, of which 18 were SAM (proxy SAM 4.7%) and 52 MAM (proxy MAM 13.4%); overall proxy GAM of 18%. OTP and TSFP will commence at the Don Bosco site and Rajaf village on 18 July.
Levels of psychosocial distress are reported to be high across all sites. More than 650 people (468 women and 185 men) have benefitted from psycho-social support and Mine Risk Education messages in Kator church and UN Tongping. However, additional psychosocial support is reported to be urgently needed. During a joint protection assessment at UN House (PoC 1 and PoC 3) on 16 July, IDPs reported continued concerns about their safety in the site, noting the risk of being caught in the crossfire if there is renewed fighting. Sporadic shooting is still reported around UN House, and homes and shops in areas of residence have reportedly been looted and vandalized. Two unexploded ordnance (UXOs) were found by the western gate of UN House and removed. Identification of persons with special needs among new arrivals is ongoing, with 71 identified at UN House. Gender-based violence (GBV) also remains a concern. Caseworkers and medical workers in UN House (PoC1 and PoC3) are supporting referrals for psycho-social support and clinical management of rape, respectively. GBV activities are due to resume in Gudele on 18 July, and the Juba GBV referral pathway has been updated.
Family tracing and reunification (FTR) activities are ongoing, with six children (four boys and two girls) reunified with their parents in Kator village, UN Tongping and PoC3. A further 11 unaccompanied, separated and missing children (seven boys and four girls) have been registered in Kator church and village. Child-friendly spaces (CFS) are operating in Kator Church and St. Joseph's, with over 200 children (114 boys and 87 girls) already reached. However, parents at UN House are still reluctant to allow their children to play at the CFS due to fears of separation in the event of an attack. Instead, local games are being used by children in front of their shelters. A static Child Protection help desk will resume daily operations at UN House PoCs to support FTR.
There have now been 20 suspected cholera cases reported in Juba Teaching Hospital (JTH), of which at least five are Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) positive. Case management is on-going, supported by the Ministry of Health (MoH), WASH and Health Cluster partners. Teams visited outbreak sites in Khor William and Kiyada Amarah, and culture samples were collected from the house of one suspected cholera patient. It was noted that family members and others in the vicinity are drinking raw river water. Hand washing facilities, buckets, water tanks, chlorine, cholera prevention and information, education and communication materials have been supplied, and radio broadcasts for prevention and control are ongoing. Planning is underway for Oral Rehydration Points to be established in some locations (e.g. Locko PHC, Kator PHC and Gabath PHC), and further mapping of outbreak areas will be done on Monday 18 July. As none of the suspected cases have culture-tested positive to date, there has been no official cholera outbreak declaration.
At both UN House and Tongping, water trucking is ongoing, with an estimated 279,000 litres provided at UN House, and more than 40,000 litres provided at Tongping, on 16 July. Access to water remains a flash point issue and a fight broke out on 16 July amongst IDPs getting water from the truck in Tongping. One suspected cholera case has been reported in Tongping and transported to JTH; hand washing stations will be set-up at the health clinic on 17 July, and the clinic will be expanded and partitioned.