HIGHLIGHTS

• Over 31,000 people have been displaced following inter-communal violence in Ganis town, Ar Rusayris locality, Blue Nile State.

• About 12,800 people have reportedly fled to Sennar State.

• Most of the displaced people (75 per cent) are taking refuge in schools and public buildings, while the rest (25 per cent) are taking refuge within the host community.

• Partners carried out anthropometric measurements, including mass mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening for children under-five years and pregnant and lactating women. To date, about 3,077 children and 182 women were screened.

• Nutrition partners are using an integrated response approach with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, food security and livelihoods (FSL), and protection partners to ensure that response is effective.

• Gender-based violence (GBV) assessments were carried out in five schools hosting IDPs and about 3,800 dignity and assorted items were distributed to women and girls of reproductive age.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

As of the end of July, over 31,000 people have been displaced following inter-communal violence in Ganis town, Ar Rusayris locality, Blue Nile State, according to the local authorities and partners on the ground. An estimated 12,600 displaced people are currently taking refuge in Ed Damazine town and outside the locality. An additional 12,800 people have reportedly arrived in Sennar State; 4,500 people have arrived in White Nile State; and about 1,220 people have arrived in Aj Jazirah State, according to reports from the local authorities and humanitarian partners in those locations. All reported figures are subjected to verification and changes.

On 22 July, an inter-agency needs assessment was carried out in Ar Rusayris locality to identify the needs of the displaced people, the gaps and to develop a collective response plan. No gathering sites were observed. The displaced people are living with friends and family.

There is a lack of clarity on the numbers of people affected, which makes it difficult to determine needs and gaps. Once the population on the move settles and planned assessments and verification exercises are completed, there will be better clarity on exact needs and gaps. In addition, the lack of access to IDPs at the initial stage of displacement causes challenges/delays in determining needs and responses to avoid duplication of work.

Humanitarian partners continue to provide the affected people with assistance. However, humanitarian operations were affected by the outage of electricity in Blue Nile between 20 and 31 July.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food Security & Livelihoods (FSL)

502,698 people or 37% of the population are food insecure

Needs:

Due to the violence, families were reportedly displaced to Ed Damazine town and outside of the state leaving behind food stocks and means of livelihood. Currently, IDPs are dependent on food assistance provided by local communities and partners.

Response:

WFP plans to distribute 10 metric tons (MT) of half food rations to an estimated 5,000 people in Ed Damazine area.

CAFA Development Organization distributed cooked meals to about 16,000 people and are planning to reach more people with the support of other NGOs.

The NGOs Muslim Hand and Reach Aid distributed hot meals to about 5,500 people (1,100 families) in Ar Rusayris and Ed Damazine localities.

Health

2,565 people in Ed Damazine reached with health services through mobile clinics

Needs:

To expand the field capacity of Ed Damazine hospital with tents, medicines, surgical supplies, and outpatient treatment capacity, to cope with the growing number of people seeking health services.

To establish temporary heath units at IDP locations. The National Health Insurance Fund (NHI) in Blue Nile will provide health staff and medicines for the health units, while the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) has provided eight volunteers for each health unit (two medical doctors, two pharmacists, one nurse, one medical assistant, and two lab technicians).

Reproductive health (RH) services need to be established in each location.

Partners to provide essential primary health care services through mobile clinics in IDP gathering sites in Wad Al Mahi locality.

Health partners request three trauma kits; rapid response kits (RRKs); 10 inter-agency emergency health kits (IEHKs); 50 malaria kits; and 10 Pediatric/SAM kits.

Training of health staff.

Response:

To date, 2,565 people in Ed Damazine have been reached with health services through mobile clinics.

Health sector partners have provided emergency health supplies for about 30,000 people for three months. These supplies include three IEHKs; and some trauma kits. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) deployed a surgical team to Blue Nile.

Three additional trauma kits (enough to treat 300 trauma cases); trauma supplies; three RRKs; and three IEHKs (with supplies to treat up to 30,000 people) will be dispatched shortly.

Health partners are also supporting Ed Damazine hospital with essential lifesaving health supplies and commodities.

SCI is running three mobile health clinics (health consultations, free medicine, nutrition (MUAC) screening, and anti-natal care services) in three IDP gathering points (schools) in Ed Damazine town.

MSF - Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium (MSF-B) is providing mobile health services in two gathering points in Ed Damazine.

The Sudanese Red Crescent (SRCS) deployed 51 volunteers to Ar Rusayris and Ed Damazine to support the evacuation of injured people to Ed Damazine hospital and provided medical supplies to Blue Nile and Sennar states.

The health taskforces, which include relevant directorates, were established to provide the needed technical support to the Blue Nile State Ministry of Health (SMoH) to develop a contingency plan, monitor its implementation, and mobilize needed resources. Medical teams have referred three women in labour to Ed Damazine hospital.

Nutrition

3,077 children under five years screened

Needs:

Treatment of acute malnutrition among children under-five years and pregnant and lactating women (PLW).

Prevention of acute malnutrition through the distribution of food-based and micronutrient supplements.

Infant and young child feeding counselling.

Capacity-building and strengthening of nutrition services among partners responding to nutrition needs.

Strengthening nutrition sector coordination in Blue Nile and Sennar states.

Response:

Carrying out anthropometric measurements, including mass mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening for children under-five years and PLWs from among the new IDPs. To date, about 3,077 children and 182 PLW were screened.

11 cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) with medical complications were treated.

91 cases of SAM without medical complications were treated.

Supported referrals for SAM cases with medical complications.

Treated 270 children under-five years and 37 PLW with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).

Provided micronutrient supplements (vitamin A and MNP).

Blanket supplementary feeding or food-based prevention for acute malnutrition was provided for the IDPs.

Monitoring and reporting of the nutrition situation and responses was carried out.

Integrated responses with the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, food security and livelihoods (FSL), and protection sectors – including accountability to affected populations – were carried out.

Training/orientation for nutrition care providers was provided to ensure that services provided meet national and Sphere standards.

573 caretakers (mothers and fathers) were provided with counselling services.

The nutrition sector maintained sector coordination meetings at the state level.

Gaps & Constraints:

Treatment of IDPs with acute malnutrition in Sennar State was delayed due to lack of partners on the ground.

It is difficult to determine the number of children and PLWs in need of nutrition support due to changing number of IDPs.

Security and access to IDP sites is a challenge.

Micronutrient powder (MNP) response has yet to be initiated by WFP.

Lack/limited supplies in the stabilization center (SC) in Sennar State. Supplies are on route.

Response has been delayed in some sites.

Protection (General)

10 schools in Ed Damazine are providing shelter for affected people

Needs:

A survey of protection needs among the displaced people.

Identification of people with specific needs.

Verification of the number of people displaced in Ar Rusayris, Ed Damazine, Wad Al Mahi and Geisan localities.

Response:

Rapid needs assessments have been carried out in Ganis town, Ar Rusayris locality, and in 10 schools in Ed Damazine that are hosting displaced people.

Identification of unaccompanied and separated minors.

Facilitating and supporting family reunions.

Strengthen state-level sector coordination meetings.

Gaps & Constraints:

Lack of clarity on the local government identification and registration of affected people

Insecurity and reported attacks on IDPs visiting their farms/property.

Lack of confidence amongst some security agencies, native administration and local authorities will impact the mediation/cessation of hostilities process and returns.

Child Protection

462 children provided with child protection and psychosocial support

Needs:

 Needs to monitor the violation of child rights and other child protection concerns.

Response:

Child Protection partners provided structured child protection and psychosocial support to over 462 children (234 boys and 228 girls) and 71 children (37 boys and 34 girls) registered for the family tracing and reunification process.

A further 1,702 children benefitted from awareness-raising and community events to prevent and respond to child protection issues. These community-based child protection and psychosocial support programmes are critical in contexts where communities are severely over-stretched to reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen individual and community resilience and self-coping mechanisms, increase awareness about protection risks for children and mitigate their impact.

In Ed Damazine, 558 children (296 boys and 262 girls) were reached with recreational activities and 500 plastic sheets and sitting mats were provided for these activities.

Gender-based Violence

3,800 dignity kits were distributed to women and girls of reproductive age

Needs:

Many families are living in the gathering sites in Ed Damazine putting women and girls at risk of gender-based violence.

Strengthening the referral system and community-based protection networks to provide survivors with the required and timely assistance.

Response:

Gender-based violence (GBV) assessments were carried out in 5 schools hosting IDPs.

3,800 dignity and assorted items were distributed to women and girls of reproductive age.

A GBV referral pathway was established.

UNFPA sent 960 dignity kits; 960 plastic buckets, and 200 safe delivery kits to be distributed in Sennar state for IDPs arriving from Blue Nile State.

The SMoH received different types of reproductive health (RH) emergency kits including rape treatment kits that can treat up to 150,000 people for three months.

UNFPA sent an additional 2,920 dignity kits and 2,920 plastic buckets to Ed Damazine to be distributed in coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) and other NGOs in the state.

Seven women and girls’ safe spaces (WGSS) kits and three tents to be used for temporary safe spaces were sent to Ed Damazine.

UNFPA trained 37 social workers and psychologists on GBV in an emergency and how to provide psychosocial support for GBV survivors in an emergency, who are now providing support to the new IDPs.

UNFPA provided GBV case management services in the confidential corner and trauma center at Ed Damazine maternity hospital as well as in the mobile clinic at the gathering sites.

A safety audit for GBV risks was conducted in seven gathering sites.

Gaps & Constraints:

The lack of privacy at gathering sites due to overcrowding exposes women and girls to increased GBV risks.

The provision of specialized counselling for survivors of GBV and other cases of trauma is insufficient.

GBV is generally considered a sensitive topic therefore most GBV cases are underreported due to fears of stigma, which prevents survivors from seeking necessary care.

Raising awareness on GBV issues and available services is fundamental to reduce stigma.

Training of GBV service providers and deployment of experienced GBV social workers and psychologists is necessary to ensure good quality of services provided to those in need.

To improve the referral system, community-based protection networks need to be strengthened at gathering sites and affected areas.

Shelter & Non-Food Items (S/NFIs)

448 NFI kits distributed

Needs:

About 6,200 families (about 31,200 people) have been displaced across five states including Blue Nile (42 per cent), Sennar (38.5 per cent), White Nile (13.5 per cent), Aj Jazirah (4 per cent) and Khartoum (2 per cent), according to IOM. These numbers are still being verified.

Most of the displaced people (75 per cent) are taking refuge in schools and public buildings, while the rest (25 per cent) are taking refuge within the host community.

Most of the displaced families need non-food item (NFI) assistance.

Response:

As of 31 July, UNHCR distributed NFI kits to 448 families (about 2,100 people) that are currently taking refuge in five schools in Blue Nile. UNHCR has 552 more kits to distribute as well as an additional 1,000 kits in stock that are being reserved for future needs.

UNHCR has provided plastic rolls to reinforce windows in the school buildings where IDPs are taking refuge due to the ongoing rains.

The government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC)—through the civil defense—has provided 1,000 mosquito nets and 6,000 plastic sheets for distribution.

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has pledged to provide 2,000 NFI kits and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has 4,000 NFI kits. In addition, the Alsalam Organization for Rehabilitation and Development (AORD) has applied for funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) for additional 572 NFI kits.

Gaps & Constraints:

About 75 per cent of the affected population are taking refuge in schools and public buildings, which puts the sustainability of shelter response in question. Currently, the delivery of emergency shelter assistance that will lead to the creation of camps is discouraged but given the results of the IOM displacement tracking matrix intention survey, displacement will likely be prolonged. Working with authorities to identify alternatives or create favorable conditions for returns will be crucial.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

5,135 IDPs taking refuge in Kosti and Rabak towns

Needs:

Displacement from the Blue Nile State is estimated to be 31,000IDPs in Blue Nile and Sennar states.

Around 5,135 IDPs are taking refuge in Kosti and Rabak towns in White Nile State, according to an assessment carried out on 31 July 2022. A further 1,224 IDPs are reportedly in Aj Jazirah State.

All the IDPs in the different locations need WASH services. It's estimated that 30-40 per cent of IDPs have been reached with access to water; 10-20 per cent have been reached with access to sanitation services; and around 30 per cent have been reached with hygiene services. However, all people assisted will continue to require WASH services.

Response:

Safe/clean water was trucked by the government’s water and environmental sanitation department (WES) and Save the Children International (SCI) to 10 IDP locations in Blue Nile. UNICEF will also be trucking in water to increase the quantity of water to IDPs in Ed Damazine and Roseries towns.

UNICEF and partners are supporting the State Water Corporation to address the shortage of water caused by a damaged electric power transformer.

UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and World Vision International (WVI) are supporting water chlorination in towns and IDP locations.

SCI and partners supported sanitation services through the desludging of 10 school latrines in 10 IDP locations in Ed Damazine town over the last ten days. UNICEF will support the desludging of latrines in the next coming days. IRC provided plastic slabs for the construction of emergency latrines, while UNICEF and the SMoH are carrying out regular disinfection in the 10 IDP schools.

Hygiene promotion activities were carried out by different WASH partners through the provision of hygiene NFIs to IDPs, mainly soap, hygiene kits, pans, buckets, basins, and hand washing facilities. Most of the support focused on the 10 IDP schools.

Meanwhile, UNICEF is supporting IDPs in Ed Damazine and other localities such as Wad Al Mahi with hygiene support. To date, UNICEF has provided 7,600 IDPs with hygiene NFIs (soap, jerry cans, hygiene kits, plastic sheeting, and plastic slabs for emergency latrines).

In Sennar State, UNICEF and SCI have extended the water supply from existing water sources to four IDP locations in schools in Wad Elnayal in Abuhugar areas in Sennar locality. UNICEF provided the water storage tanks and built the tower, while SCI connected the water pipes from the existing water sources. UNICEF and SCI also distributed WASH NFIs to the IDPs.

In White Nile State, UNICEF will fund water trucking in three schools in Rabak and Kosti towns where IDPs have taken refuge. UNICEF also provided soap and is planning to install three bladders at IDP locations in the state.

Gaps & Constraints:

In Blue Nile, the power outage caused by the breakdown of the electric power transformer is affecting the water supply in Ed Damazine and Roseries towns and other dam villages. Critical water shortages have also been reported in dam towns in Geisan and Wad Al Mahi localities. Arrangements have been made to connect water systems of some essential locations with alternate sources of power benefitting about 70 per cent of the population that depends on main the water supply from Ed Damazine and Roseries. However, 12 dam towns are still facing water shortages.

Most partners are facing funding shortages. UNICEF—who manages the core pipeline supply—has dispatched available emergency supplies but a gap remains which requires collective support from partners.

FUNDING

The Financial Tracking System (FTS) for Sudan shows that as of 7 August, the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Sudan has received US$421.0 million or 21.7 per cent of the $1.94 billion requirement, leaving a gap of $1.52 billion. The UN and humanitarian partners call on donors to support the Sudanese people and provide expedient funding for humanitarian operations as the economic crisis, inflation, food insecurity and other challenges increase the needs and their gravity, and deprivation.

Background on the crisis

On 13 July 2022, inter-communal clashes erupted between members of the Hausa Tribe and the Hamaj and Barta tribes in several villages in Wad Al Mahi locality, Blue Nile State following the death of two people from the Hamaj tribe. Between 14 and 16 July, inter-communal violence spread to villages in Ar Rusayris locality. The government deployed security forces and imposed a curfew in Ar Rusayris and Ed Damazine from 18:00 to 06:00 hours the next day.

For further information, please contact:

Sofie Karlsson, Head of Communications and Analysis, OCHA Sudan, karlsson2@un.org, Tel: +249 (0) 912 17 44 56

For more information, please visit www.unocha.orgor Reliefweb

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