HIGHLIGHTS
Thousands of South Sudanese refugees continued to flee in to Uganda over the weekend. 2,371 arrived on Friday, 3,530 on Saturday and 1,203 on Sunday. More refugees have fled to Uganda in the last eighteen days than did during the whole of 2015.
New arrivals claim to have decided to leave South Sudan as a result of increasing tensions in the capital Juba. Other new arrivals report that armed groups are robbing civilians, and sexually abusing women who refuse to pay them money. Refugees arriving in Lamwo district report that armed men are kidnapping children aged twelve years and above from schools in Magwi. New arrivals in Arua claim that armed groups continue to threaten people to leave the area while disappearances are also on the rise. Fighting has reportedly broken out between government forces and rebel troops in a number of towns in Central Equatoria.
New arrivals in Arua report that their passage to safety was made easier as a number of armed groups who had previously been demanding payment in order to allow civilians to pass had left the area. People are reportedly being prevented from leaving the country in Mugo, close to Yei, Central Equatoria.
Efforts have been strengthened to decongest reception facilities, including bringing newly arriving refugees directly to the new settlement in Yumbe. 1,842 people were transported from reception facilities to Bidibidi, the recently-opened settlement area in Yumbe district. This brings the total number of people settled in Bidibidi to 3,561. New arrivals are initially being taken to a reception centre in Bidibidi, where they are being provided with soap, blankets and other core relief items, before being provided with plots of land and building materials with which to construct their new homes.
Reception facilities continue to be severely overstretched although relocations to settlement areas is beginning to ease congestion. Last night, 52,298 people were resident in reception facilities.
The majority of new arrivals using the Elegu border crossing are arriving from Juba, with smaller numbers coming from Eastern Equatoria and other areas. In Arua, most of the new arrivals are fleeing from Central Equatoria.
Health facilities in West Nile are becoming increasingly overstretched. In Adjumani, patient-clinician rates are now at 100 to 1, more than double the emergency standard. More health professionals are needed to supplement current staffing in light of the continued influx.
More than 85% of new arrivals in West Nile are women and children. This particularly young population is significantly straining available educational facilities. Torrential rains are hampering relief efforts as roads become muddy and vehicles begin to get stuck. Road equipment is being deployed to conduct repairs to the affected roads.
Operational Update
- An additional borehole was tested and cleared for use in Nyumanzi Transit Centre and is being used as a water collection point before it is connected to water systems.
- Clothes were distributed to children at Nyumanzi Transit Centre. A large distribution of sanitary materials were also provided to women and girls.
- A 10,000 litre water tank has been installed in Eden, Arua, as well as a number of communal pit-latrines and bath shelters.
- Community watch groups have been set up in Nyumanzi Transit Centre and in reception centres in Pagirinya, who are providing increased security, as well as conducting awareness-raising campaigns on sexual and gender-based violence.