HIGHLIGHTS
4,500 IDP families registered: The UNHCR, World Vision International and Africa Action Help-International team in Maridi, Western Equatoria State, has completed registration of over 4,500 IDP families in Maridi and Ibba. UNHCR is planning NFI distributions to up to 5,000 families from 6-12 August.
Food reduction: During meetings with UNHCR, refugees from several refugee camps across South Sudan expressed concern about the upcoming 30 per cent reduction in WFP food rations, due to start in August. Many fear that such a measure would prevent them to purchase other essential commodities. In the months of June and July, UNHCR and WFP jointly reached out to the communities to convey the message and are now in discussion to ensure that the food needs of the most vulnerable individuals in the most food-insecure areas are met, regardless of the reduction implementation.
Biometric registration under way: On 27 July UNHCR, supported by ACTED, began biometrically verifying and documenting refugees in Kaya camp, Upper Nile State. 7,034 individuals, about a third of the camp's population, have been verified so far.
Fistula operations: UNHCR and partner ACROSS have assisted 12 refugee patients (and their 12 care-givers) from all over South Sudan with transport to Wau Teaching Hospital in Bahr El-Ghazal for UNFPA-sponsored fistula operations. Four of the 12 have already had operations.
World Breastfeeding Week: UNHCR together with refugees and partner organizations kicked off World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) in many refugee camps across South Sudan. The theme of this year's WBW campaign, "Breastfeeding and work, let's make it work", focuses on children well-being and the need for better support systems to enable working mothers to breastfeed.