South Sudan

When I started this blog, I intended it to be a travelogue, with a record of my field trips to CARE program areas around the world.  I intend to keep that feature alive, but there is so much going on of interest beyond my travels that I am now trying to keep the blog fresh by adding updates from my colleagues.  Today's posting comes from Sudan, where the repercussions of the recent independence referendum continue to unfold.

Highlights: 

• The cumulative figure of Internally Displaced Person (IDP) returnees since the return operation started on 30 October 2010 is 219,184 individuals as of 15 February 2011.
• Unity remains the state with the highest number of returns (52,244)
• Due to several security incidents along the southern route and the lack of funds available to the Government of South Sudan to pay for the convoys, the pace of returns had been at a standstill
• Insecurity has also hampered the delivery of humanitarian assistance in several locations
• Two of CARE’s areas of operation, Upper Nile and Unity were affected
• In Upper Nile staff could not return to Malakal until the conflict between members of the Sudan Armed Forces Joint Integrated Unit (SAF JIU) had ended
• In Unity the CARE mobile clinic was restricted to Rubkona as clashes between Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and armed groups and increased tribal tensions caused several ‘no-go’ areas including Mayom, Abiemnhom, and Koch counties
• However in the past few days the clinic made trips to Guit County to assist IDPs displaced from the recent fighting in Upper Nile (most of the patients were children)
• There has been an increase in reported cases of malaria.
• Over the next 90 days there will be a lot of troop movement around the country as the JIUs are disbanding.

Our staff are working diligently to help meet humanitarian needs, to support them, please visit http://care.ca/  and consider becoming an Agent of Change (and thanks if you already are!).

Kevin