FROM: Unicef OLS, DATE: 6/11/99 8:52 AM Weekly Report: 31 May - 6 June 1999 UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES Operation Lifeline Sudan (Southern Sector) General Situation Insecurity in parts Upper Nile continued this week, with Padit, Gumriak and Tagil burnt and looted on 3 June. Assessment teams into Nyal and Ganyiel reported about that about 7,000 had been displaced to that location from Leer, Duar and Koch areas in western Upper Nile. Meanwhile Ikotos and Narus in eastern equatoria were bombed. Bahr el Ghazal Conference The Bahr el Ghazal Conference took place on the 29 to 31 June in Mapel, Bahr el Ghazal. The conference organised by the UNICEF/OLS Capacity Building section discussed beneficiary rights, re-establishing resilience and sustainable livelihoods. SPLM and SRRA officials, OLS and non-OLS agencies attended the conference. This year's conference was remarkable because unlike previous year's, parties went beyond finger pointing and discussed how they could improve issues. The conference concluded with the following declarations: - The conference underscored the need for strong institutions for maintaining law and order through deterrence and taking punitive measures on offenders. - The conference also recognised the need for just peace and security as a component to rehabilitation and development. - The conference endorsed the agreements reached at Wunlit during the Dinka-Nuer peace talks. - The conference recognised the fundamental need for an effective and strong political will at all levels. - The conference acknowledged the need for proactively moving from relief to rehabilitation and development. A report on the conference will be ready in a few weeks. Meetings & Workshops A UNHCR Workshop on the protection of refugees will be held in Lokichokkio on 10th June at the Intereact Hall in Lokichokkio. There is space for about 12 more people. Agencies interested in participating in the workshop have been asked to forward their names to George Cooke, UNICEF/OLS Programme Co-ordinator based in Lokichokkio. The security workshop commenced on the 5 June at the Intereact Hall in Lokichokkio. The workshop will run through to the 7 June. A Household Food Security workshop will be held in Lokichokkio on 9 June. Agencies have been requested to return seeds and tools distribution formats, for the just concluded distribution exercise. A workshop on "the current use and value of indigenous wild food plants and their potential for the people of southern Sudan in the future" was held in Lokichokkio on 3-5 June 1999. The workshop was organised by CRS and USAID. A report on the workshop is expected in a few weeks time. Programme An assessment team to Nyal and Ganyiel, Upper Nile held a debriefing session to programme heads in Lokichokkio on 1 June. The team established that there was movement of people from other parts of Upper Nile to Ganyiel and Nyal. Recent reports indicated that numerous populations fleeing fighting in Duar, Koch and Leer in western Upper Nile had fled to Nyal and Ganyiel. There are 3,000 people displaced into Nyal out of which 450 men and 2,250 women as well as children. Another 4,000 people have been displaced into Ganyiel, 1,200 men in Ganyiel and 2,800 women including children. The people are said to be moving to and from Nyal and Ganyiel, depending on where there was a WFP food drop. They have been integrated into the host community while others are living in the churches. The displaced people have confirmed that they plan to cultivate in Nyal and Ganyiel and return to their original homes when the fighting stops. The displaced reported to have left their homes in a hurry and so did not carry anything with them. The immediate needs of the displaced are shelter, food, seeds and tools, fishing equipment, mosquito nets, cooking pots and blankets. ICRC has already provided seeds while UNICEF and WFP have provided blankets, medicines and food. The assessment team recommended that: - A monitoring system should be put in place to monitor the population movement between Nyal and Ganyiel. - The security situation in Nyal and Ganyiel should continue to be monitored. - Relief food and non-food items distribution should go on. - UNICEF Emergency Response will co-ordinate agencies working in these two locations for an emergency intervention for both Ganyiel and Nyal. The team will include WFP, COSV, VSF-B, ICRC, RASS and UNICEF. - A small committee was formed to discuss and conclude on the issue of accurate displaced population figures, which were disputed at the meeting. The committee will comprise of UNICEF, WFP, RASS and COSV). Humanitarian Principles The National Insurance Corporation recently agreed not to demand insurance from agencies until agencies, donors and SRRA agreed upon the Memorandum of Understanding. However, reports of agencies being stopped and asked to pay for insurance especially in western and eastern Equatoria are still being received. Agencies have been advised not to pay for the insurance and to take up the issue through the UNICEF Humanitarian Principles programme. Agencies were also advised to continue purchasing SRRA passes until the work permits issue, also part of the MOU discussions, was finalised. Health Upper Nile / Jonglei monthly geographical meeting was held in Lokichokkio on 1 June. During the meeting, OLS Security advised that an emergency assessment of Gumriak and surrounding locations was required. Any interventions to the location for the time being should be short term. Agencies planning to return to the region on a long-term basis were advised against doing so for the time being. A meeting for agencies planning to return to Gumriak will be convened shortly. The IRC community health workers training school will be hold the graduation ceremony for their students on 18 July. IRC reported that the areas north of the Sabot, south of Madding and Torpot had recorded approximately 21 cholera cases. New cases of tuberculosis and Kala Azar have been reported in Nyal and Ganyiel. IRC and COSV are treating the cases at the PHCCs there. Food Distribution WFP distributed 1190.66 metric tons of food was distributed to 119, 378 targeted beneficiaries. During the reporting period, two C-130 Hercules and three Buffalo aircraft continued to deliver food aid out of Lokichokkio and two C-130 Hercules and one Ilyushin-76 operated from Khartoum/El Obeid. The following table summarises WFP food distribution by location. Bahr el Ghazal Location Beneficiaries Quantity of Food in MTS Baau14,016164 Madhol 24,174251 Lietnohm 16,000123 Turalei 19,638160 Upper Nile/Jonglei Location Beneficiaries Quantity of Food in MTS Mabior 12,000113 Nyal32,750138 Assessments Heavy infestations of armyworms have been reported in Tali Payam, Juba County in eastern Equatoria by the local NGO, ACCORD. The extent of crop damage by the pests is not yet known. There is also talk of the army worms having spread to the neighbouring counties of Yei and Mundri. Indeed, OXFAM have confirmed the presence of armyworms in Mundri County. FEWS has indicate that the infestations is not major enough to worry about and the natural control for army worms is rain which is expected to start falling soon in the affected locations. Camp Issues The OLS Camp ladies soccer team drew 1-1 with the airstrip ladies team during a soccer match played to celebrate Madaraka Day on 1 June. Meanwhile the OLS camp men's team beat the ICRC team two goals to nil during the same event. DHL on 2 June announced that they had established courier services between Lokichokkio and Nairobi. Their offices will be at the Kate Camp. Visitors Mme Frances Smith and Paul Filler from ECHO arrived in Lokichokkio on 1 June. To view WFP activities especially and airdrop. The Mainichi Shimbun journalist departed from Nairobi after covering UNICEF activities in Akon, Luanyaker, Thiet and Mapel. Meanwhile Mike Crawley from Gemini news moved to Rumbek to cover the secondary school on 3 June. He is scheduled to visit the Tambura Farmers Marketing Association in western Equatoria on 6 June. The ECHO Research team on the "Harmful consequences of Humanitarian Assistance" visited Akon, Malualkon and are currently in Nyamlell. The team will visit Panthou and Turalei next week. The team consists of Phillip Winter, Jok Madut, and John Ryle. Holdbrook Arthur the Regional director of WFP Horn of Africa accompanied by Zlatan Milisic and Lucy Woldu visited the camp and held a lengthy meeting with WFP staff. US Senator Sam Brownback (R), House Representative Donald Payne (D) and Representative Tom Trancbecke (R) visited Lokichokkio on 4 June hosted by NPA. The delegation departed for Kakuma immediately after arrival and flew to Labone and Yei with NPA on 5 June. The team returned to Lokichokkio on 6 June Lee Peterson the new OLS Security Officer arrived in Lokichokkio on 5 June. The security team of five is now complete. Security 31 May Narus was reported bombed today, no report of casualties or the number of bombs. 1 June Narus was bombed again. 2 June One train left Merriam while two others remained in that location. 3 June Padit, Gumriak and Tagil was burnt and looted Ikotos was bombed. 5 June The road from Natinga to New Cush has now been approved for travel. It had been closed since 21 April. All OLS staff wishing to use this road are to receive a briefing prior to leaving Loki as the security risk is deemed high. Chukudum remains RED NO GO Turalei was given a greenlight for OLS agencies to return.