IOM SOUTH SUDAN March 1-20, 2015
H U M A N I TA R I A N U P D AT E # 4 4 HIGHLIGHTS
The IOM team in Bentiu continues to expand and develop the PoC site. This extension project will decongest the current PoC and provide appropriate drainage to mitigate against floods in the upcoming rainy season.
IOM Rapid Response Health assessment team is in Kandak, Jonglei state
IOM/SNOWBALL 2015
IOM hosts muiti-donor visit to the Malakal PoC site in Upper Nile State
Following the December 2013 outbreak of violence, 2 million South Sudanese have fled their homes and over 500,000 have left the country and crossed into Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda. 1.5 million people remain internally displaced and are seeking shelter in remote rural areas. Of the 1.5 million internally displaced, 112,200 are sheltering in UN bases across South Sudan. With no end to the conflict in sight, displacement patterns remain fluid; driven by violence, access to emergency assistance and seasonality. The current security climate in South Sudan remains unpredictable with armed incidents reported in various locations throughout the country though more frequently witnessed in Upper Nile and Unity state. Insecurity has complicated humanitarian response in the three most conflict affected states of Upper Nile, Unity and Jonglei. Despite these challenges IOM teams remain on the ground and engaged.
IOM Immigration and Border Management team members provide passports and temporary stay permits to foreign nationals residing in the Juba UN House PoC II site. IOM IBM Program Manager, Sara Basha and Program Officer Yoko Mizutani verify beneficiaries before distributing the appropriate documentation.
Currently 2.5 million people are food insecure, the peace process has been disrupted and value of the South Sudanese Pound continues to drop. The continued tension coupled with economic insecurity could trigger an increase in criminality and conflict. IOM logistics, CCCM, Shelter and WASH teams are working hard to preposition supplies and complete drainage and site development projects prior to the rainy season. In order to avoid the flooding which took place during the 2014 rainy season, IOM continues site extension and improvement activities in Bentiu and Malakal PoC sites to ensure that IDPs are not underwater in 2015. IOM’s Rapid Response teams continue to provide mobile response in challenging operating environments. To date the mechanism has reached over 182,000 displaced persons in remote areas throughout the country.
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