On July 8th, the eve of South Sudan’s Independence Day, fighting broke out in Juba between armed factions of the Governmentled SPLA, and the former opposition SPLAIO.
Over the following weeks, fighting spread to other towns and villages throughout the Greater Equatoria region, leading to the displacement of thousands of people from their homes, many to neighbouring countries.
Since June 30th, 97,947 new arrivals have been registered in Uganda, which is currently host to an estimated total of 327,123 South Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers. Most established refugee settlements in Uganda are already at capacity, leaving thousands of new arrivals waiting in Collection Points (CPs) and Reception Centres (RCs) in the north of the country. Most are hoping to be transferred to the new Bidibidi camp in Yumbe, which has a planned capacity of 100,000 refugees. With Uganda’s refugee settlements already stretched, any further influx is likely to exceed existing capacity.
The full extent of displacement as a result of recent conflict across Greater Equatoria remains unclear. Access for humanitarians to most locations in the region is severely restricted, leaving a limited understanding of the current conditions in affected communities, and no clear view of the scale of potential further displacement into Uganda.
Between 27-31 August, REACH conducted a rapid assessment in Kiyrandango Settlement in northern Uganda to address this gap and provide baseline information to inform humanitarian planning. Using its “Area of Origin”4 methodology to understand the situation in hard-to-reach or inaccessible areas, REACH spoke with recently arrived South Sudanese refugees to gather information about the triggers and patterns of displacement, and the intentions of IDPs and host communities. Such information informs our understanding of the likelihood of further displacement, both within South Sudan and into Uganda, and provides indicative data on the situation of people remaining in their areas of origin, including their access to basic services.
Information was collected through eight focus group discussions (FGDs) involving a total of 92 participants living in Kiyrandango Settlement who had fled from the following cities and towns: Juba, Maridi, Magwi, Mundri, Yambio, Pageri, Nimule, Yei, Torit, Lainya, and Kajo-Keji. Participants came from locations across Greater Equatoria, from both urban settlements (shown on map 1) and surrounding rural communities.
Separate discussions were held for males and females and included participants with a variety of professional backgrounds, among them health workers, businessmen, farmers, and civil servants.
Key findings are presented in this report undertwo main sections:
• Displacement dynamics following the escalation of conflict
• Intentions, conditions and access to services for remaining populations in Greater Equatoria