Special programme for refugees in South Sudan

Project description

Title: Special Programme Refugees South Sudan
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: South Sudan
Overall term: 2014 to 2016

Context

Since December 2013, there has been a civil war between government forces and rebels in South Sudan. There have been regular breaches of agreed ceasefires throughout the lengthy and intensive efforts to mediate and negotiate a peace settlement by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional organisation of North African states. Even after the peace agreement of August 2015, the conflict between the two parties continues. Over two million South Sudanese have fled from the ravages of war to other parts of the country and to neighbouring states since mid-2014. The armed conflicts between rebel groups and the military, which have repeatedly flared up in various parts of the country, have led to serious disruptions in the provision of basic health care services, agricultural production and the distribution of food in South Sudan. Almost five years after the state was founded in 2011, it repeatedly faces humanitarian crises and probably further years of conflict.

The German Federal Government has committed itself to providing fast and effective aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan and to South Sudanese refugees in the neighbouring countries of Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. Since GIZ has been able to operate with only a core team in South Sudan for security reasons, GIZ has made funding available to projects operated by the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) AMREF, Welthungerhilfe and VSF Germany.

Objective

The provision of basic needs and services for IDPs in South Sudan, South Sudanese refugees in the neighbouring countries of Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, and the local population has improved.

Approach

The activities promoted by the German Federal Government under German development cooperation through Welthungerhilfe, VSF Germany and AMREF focus on food security, water supply, the fight against cholera and the provision of basic health services. These are to benefit IDPs in various conflict regions in South Sudan and in the receiving communities, and refugees in camps or refugee settlements outside the country. GIZ provides the NGOs with funding in the form of subsidies to carry out support services. It also coordinates the exchange of information with other refugee-related projects in the region. This includes the project launched in South Sudan and Kenya in 2015 as part of BMZ’s overarching special initiative entitled ‘Tackling the root causes of displacement, reintegrating refugees’, as well as other projects which have been partially refocused for crisis-related reasons to provide refugee support.

Results

Using the project’s funds, it has already been possible to reach almost one million people in need in South Sudan and the neighbouring countries by April 2016.

• AMREF: Around 600,000 people have received medical care. Of these, over 80 per cent were women and children under five years of age. The care provided included preventive measures such as vaccinations and counselling for pregnant women, but also general medical treatment and operations.
• Welthungerhilfe: Since mid-2014, over 278,000 IDPs in the northern crisis region of Unity State have been supplied with food on a monthly basis. Of these, 60 per cent were women. In addition, almost 63,000 people have been reached since mid-2014 in the north-western state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. They were provided with rural water and sanitation services in the form of wells and communal toilets. They also received information on hygiene; soap and other articles were distributed. Over half of those benefiting from the support measures to date have been women.
• VSF Germany: Support for households has resulted in the project reaching almost 55,000 people. These include 750 people in severe need, often households headed by women alone. 35 veterinary assistants, including 3 women, and 27 butchers received training. Almost half of those benefiting from the support measures were women or children.