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Over 1 mn affected by flooding in South Sudan

The UN agency said that 40 per cent of the affected population is from Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states…reports Asian Lite News


Devastating flooding caused by heavy rains pounding several parts of South Sudan has affected more than one million people.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in an update released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Friday evening that the floods have so far displaced about 271,000 people in 42 of the country’s 78 counties.

The UN agency said that 40 per cent of the affected population is from Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states. It has predicted that the unprecedented floods could affect up to 3.3 million people between September and December.

It said that heavy rainfall and flooding have rendered 15 key supply routes impassable, restricting physical access, Xinhua news agency reported.

South Sudan is facing unprecedented flooding, with forecasts predicting above-average rainfall, river flows from Uganda, and potentially record-breaking floods, according to the OCHA.

The country is one of the 18 hunger hotspots globally where food security is deteriorating, according to UN reports.

Considering the uncertainties brought on by the climate crisis—which causes crop destruction, disruptions to education, rising diseases, and economic downturns—as a result, communities and victims are toned to prepare to counter these issues and be ready for future challenges. Aid groups and authorities have sounded alarms about incoming floods due to Lake Victoria’s water levels rising to 13.6 meters—the highest in the Nile Basin in over a century. This escalation, compounded by discharges from the Nalubaale Power Station in Uganda, poses imminent flooding risks to South Sudan, particularly in Jonglei State.

When floodwaters rise, students, teachers, and communities strive to maintain educational continuity amidst natural disasters. Flooded schools render classrooms unusable, wash away educational materials, and undermine the very foundation of learning. This crisis disproportionately affects girls, jeopardizing their education and making them vulnerable to early forced marriages.

Beyond education, children’s health suffers significantly during floods. Access to healthcare becomes severely limited, compounding the risks of diseases such as cholera, malaria, acute respiratory infections, and dysentery. The psychological toll on children is equally severe; they undergo depression when they see the destruction of their homes and livelihoods.

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South Sudan revokes suspension of UN radio station

The radio station was shut down in March 2018 over non-compliance with local media laws….reports Asian Lite News

South Sudan’s media regulator has lifted the suspension of Radio Miraya, the UN-owned radio station.

Michael Makuei Lueth, minister of Information and Communication, Technology and Postal Services, said journalists working for the UN radio service are now free to cover government activities, reports Xinhua news agency.

The radio station was shut down in March 2018 over non-compliance with local media laws.

“We are members of the UN, we will definitely abide by whatever is done in the UN but people should conform to the laws of the country in which you are operating,” Makuei told journalists in Juba.

Elijah Alier Kuai, managing director of the South Sudan Media Authority, said Radio Miraya has been granted an operational license valid for one year.

Nicholas Haysom, the special representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNMISS, said the registration was done without prejudice to UN rights under the Status of Forces Agreement signed in 2011 between the government and the UN.

“The resolution is based on the registration of this radio without prejudice of UN rights under the status of forces agreement; it allows and confirms the radio frequency in compliance with domestic communication legislation,” Haysom said.

He added the radio will now continue to serve the people of South Sudan better with independent, impartial and peaceful podcasts.

Deng Dau Deng, acting minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, commended the important role played by the UN radio in disseminating vital information during the referendums in 2011.

ALSO READ: Sudan fighting triggers increase of diseases once under control

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South Sudan appeals for more humanitarian aid amid influx of returnees

South Sudan is currently hosting more than 150,000 returnees and refugees, 90 per cent of whom fled to Sudan during the conflicts in South Sudan in 2013 and 2016…reports Asian Lite News

South Sudan has appealed for more humanitarian assistance from international donors as it is struggling to cope with the daily influx of returnees and refugees from neighbouring Sudan.

Albino Akol Atak, Minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management, said on Thursday that the $5.3-million budget released by the cabinet in June to respond to the humanitarian situation at the border with Sudan is not enough as it could only last for three months.

“The government and partners put in money but we still have funding gaps because of the big number that are arriving every day, and they are congesting some entry points in Renk, Paloch and Malakal,” Akol told journalists after meeting humanitarian partners in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

He said supplies in the local markets will soon get depleted, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis created since the outbreak of the conflict in Sudan on April 15. “We are seeing that the conflict in Sudan is not stopping soon,” Akol said.

“We are reviewing plans on how to respond to this bigger number. We are anticipating that 500,000 and more people will arrive up to the end of the year.”

South Sudan is currently hosting more than 150,000 returnees and refugees, 90 per cent of whom fled to Sudan during the conflicts in South Sudan in 2013 and 2016.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) recently appealed for $190.5 million to provide essential core services such as health, water, sanitation and hygiene response and the provision of mental health and psychosocial support to returnees and refugees. The appeal also includes transportation of those displaced by the Sudan conflict to settlement areas.

Peter Van der Auweraert, the acting humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan, said transportation of returnees and refugees to points of destination remains a major challenge.

“We will struggle in the next couple of months to ensure we have sufficient funding to move people by plane. We will have to provide more humanitarian assistance both at the point of arrival but also at the point of destination,” he added.

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Recent clashes undermining permanent truce in South Sudan

WFP gets $1.29mn to scale up humanitarian aid to South Sudan

The recent intensified fighting in South Sudan’s Unity and Upper Nile states between the parties to the 2018 revitalised peace agreement is undermining efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire, monitors said…reports Asian Lite News

Asrat Denero Amad, Chairperson for the Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM), said that the ongoing tension in Unity and Upper Nile states since February 11 are threatening peace, reports Xinhua news agency.

“There is tension in Unity state since Mirmir cantonment site was overrun on February 11, by Kit-Gwang elements and armed youth reportedly instigated by the Koch County Commissioner,” said Amad during the CTSAMVM technical committee meeting in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

ALSO READ: UN envoy warns of Sudan’s security collapse

He disclosed that attacks by hold-out opposition group National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Thomas Cirilo Sawaka continue to take place in Central and Western Equatoria states.

Amad observed that tensions remain in Tambura county of Western Equatoria state where fighting since 2021 displaced nearly 80,000 civilians.

“The situation in the counties of Maban, Maiwut, and Longechuk in Upper Nile state also remains tense following the fighting in these areas since February. CTSAMVM has received reports of at least eight alleged incidents, including the ambush and destruction of two Medicines Sans Frontier vehicles near Yei on February 28,” said Amad.

Martin Abucha, a member of First Vice President Riek Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition, also called for a probe into these violations across the country.

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South Sudan’s main opposition agrees to resume security mechanisms

South Sudan’s main opposition agrees to resume security mechanisms

The parties also signed an agreement on the structure of a unified army command that will be in charge of the 83,000 unified forces once they are graduated…reports Asian Lite News

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), the main opposition in South Sudan, has agreed to resume participation in the security mechanisms after recently opting out due to “unprovoked” attacks on its positions.

First Vice President Riek Machar, leader of the SPLM/A-IO, on March 22 announced announced his party’s withdrawal from meetings of the crucial security mechanisms, such as the strategic defence and security review (SDSR), the joint transitional security committee (JTSC), the joint military ceasefire commission (JMCC), and the joint defence board (JDB), reports Xinhua news agency.

“The SPLM/SPLA-IO leadership hereby lifts the suspension of participation in SPLM/SPLA-IO in the meetings of security mechanisms, namely JDB, JTSC, JMCC, SDSR Board, CTSAMVM (Ceasefire Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Verification Mechanism), as well as the National Transitional Committee (NTC) and Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), with immediate effect,” Machar said in a statement.

The decision followed a visit by Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu, deputy head of the Sudan Sovereign Council, who also held talks with President Salva Kiir and other signatories to the 2018 revitalized peace deal.

The parties also signed an agreement on the structure of a unified army command that will be in charge of the 83,000 unified forces once they are graduated.

“Today we signed the agreement on the structure of the army command in the unification and one week from now, all the forces who are in cantonment will begin the graduation of the first batch,” said Tut Gatluak Manime, Kiir’s advisor on security.

ALSO READ: South Sudan parties in discussion to end security stalemate

The SPLM/A-IO and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) clashed last week in the oil-rich regions of Upper Nile and Unity states, leading to fresh fears of the fragile peace deal collapsing.

The UN Mission in South Sudan, the African Union, and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that brokered the peace deal have recently met all the parties to push them back to the negotiating table.

The transitional period ends in February 2023, and afterward that the world’s youngest nation will hold its first national election.

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South Sudan parties in discussion to end security stalemate

South Sudan parties in discussion to end security stalemate

South Sudan President Salva Kiir and his First Vice President Riek Machar are holding discussions to end the deadlock over the security arrangements, a senior official said here…reports Asian Lite News

Bol Makueng, secretary for external affairs of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) led by President Kiir, said the two principals are already consulting each other on how to move forward on peace implementation, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We will be communicating among ourselves because this country belongs to all of us, the First Vice President is promising that they will work hand-in-hand with President Kiir, so that they avoid taking this country back to war again,” Makueng told journalists after meeting envoys for the US, Norway, and the UK in Juba.

On March 22, the main-opposition SPLM/A-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) under Machar withdrew from the security mechanisms, citing “unprovoked” attacks on its positions by South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF).

The SPLM/A-IO also rejected the three positions within the army and police provided to it by President Kiir.

The opposition wants a 50:50 ratio within the unified army command it claims was agreed upon by the parties during peace talks in Khartoum in 2018.

“We have come to the conclusion to do things that are pending in the agreement, some of the challenges pertaining to security arrangements, especially the unification of forces and that is already near finishing,” said Makueng.

He also noted that one of the main challenges they are facing is the fact that SPLM/A-IO has a huge number of senior ranking officers than private officers, thus making it difficult to quickly integrate them into the unified armed forces.

ALSO READ: Sudan official calls on Sudanese parties for talks to achieve stability

Kuol Atem, the SPLM secretary for political affairs, corroborated Makueng, saying that the various parties to the 2018 revitalised peace deal are consulting each other on how to conclude the outstanding issues, mainly the security arrangements.

“The President and the First Vice President are in consultation, the president decreed the unification of (army) command which was rejected, but that will be resolved and the command will be one,” said Atem.

The transitional period is set to end in February 2023, and yet several critical tasks including the graduation of the unified forces, the enactment of the permanent constitution and the establishment of transitional justice mechanism are yet to be implemented.

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Sudan official calls on Sudanese parties for talks to achieve stability

A senior security official from South Sudan has called for talks between Sudan’s political parties and national forces in order to reach a consensus for the country’s stability…reports Asian Lite News

During his meeting on Sunday with Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Tut Gatluak, South Sudan’s Presidential adviser on Security Affairs, said Sudan’s security and stability is conducive to stability and security in South Sudan as well as in the region, according to a statement issued by Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council.

“The meeting reviewed the current political situation in Sudan, as well as the efforts of the Sudanese government, the UN and the African Union to find a way out of the current situation in Sudan,” Gatluak was quoted as saying.

South Sudan’s Presidential adviser on Security Affairs delivered a written message from South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit to Al-Burhan, Xinhua news agency reported.

ALSO READ: UN calls for ceasefire in South Sudan

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on October 25, 2021, and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government.

Since then, the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule.

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UN calls South Sudan to protect aid workers

UN calls South Sudan to protect aid workers

The UN relief agency has called on South Sudan to protect communities, humanitarian personnel and assets across the country after the killing of three aid workers…reports Asian Lite News

Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan and Arafat Jamal, the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim (a.i.) who condemned the incident, which occurred on Thursday, urged the perpetrators to respect international law and humanitarian staff and assets.

“This attack is completely unacceptable. This is not the first of these incidents in this area. Criminals who choose to use violence to serve themselves ensure vulnerable people suffer more. If humanitarians and humanitarian assets are not protected, humanitarian assistance to that area will have to stop,” Nyanti said in a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, on Friday evening.

A convoy of commercial trucks carrying vital life-saving food commodities from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) was attacked between Gadiang and Yuai in Jonglei state on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Three people on the convoy were killed, and one person was wounded.

The Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan is currently visiting donor capitals to raise the profile of the needs of people in South Sudan and advocating for support.

“When humanitarian assistance is attacked, it is the people in need who suffer. Indeed, such incidents discourage those donor countries who would otherwise invest in South Sudan,” she said.

ALSO READ: Experts urge dialogue among South Sudan parties

Jamal on his part called on the government to immediately implement its commitments to ensure civilians, including humanitarians, are safe.

“I have unfailing admiration for everyone who helps and supports people in need. It is devastating to realise that people undertaking vital work can be executed so heartlessly. The crime is compounded when these attacks go unpunished. These killers must not be allowed to roam free,” he said.

South Sudan, which is one of the most dangerous places for aid workers saw 319 violent incidents reported in 2021 targeting humanitarian personnel and assets, with five aid workers killed, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

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UN calls for ceasefire in South Sudan

South Sudanese parties on Thursday clashed in the oil-rich Upper Nile region, just after the SPLM-IO withdrew from the security mechanisms…reports Asian Lite News

The UN and South Sudan peace monitors have called on parties to the conflict to stop clashes in the oil-rich Upper Nile region and instead embrace dialogue to help resolve disagreements that threaten to unravel a fragile peace deal.

In separate statements, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) urged all parties to fully comply with the letter and spirit of the peace agreement, reports Xinhua news agency.

UNMISS head Nicholas Haysom said the decision by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) to suspend its participation in the security mechanisms of the peace agreement is deeply worrying.

“However, we acknowledge some of the concerns raised by the SPLM-IO, especially the alarming spike in violent conflict in Upper Nile and Unity States, that has directly impacted their cantonment sites as well as innocent civilians,” he said.

South Sudanese parties on Thursday clashed in the oil-rich Upper Nile region, just after the SPLM-IO withdrew from the security mechanisms.

Haysom said that less than 12 months of the transitional period remain, and that it is crucial that all parties continue their best efforts to sustain the ceasefire and work toward implementing all outstanding benchmarks so that free and fair elections can take place.

Experts urge dialogue among South Sudan parties

“There is no military solution to the conflict in South Sudan,” he said. “I encourage all political parties to put aside their differences in the larger interest of peace, progress, and prosperity.”

“UNMISS stands ready to extend its full support in this regard,” the UN envoy said.

The RJMEC, for its part, said it noted the concerns and consequential violence regarding ongoing defections among the ranks of stakeholders, calling on all parties to comply fully with the peace deal.

  RJMEC Interim Chairperson Charles Tai Gituai said ceasefire monitors have been directed to investigate the increasing number of clashes between SPLA-IO forces and defectors to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in Upper Nile and Unity States, including in training centres.

 “Such divisive activities complicate the unification process, lower morale and breed mistrust among troops,” he said. “A unified force depends on cohesiveness for its ability to function as a professional force.”

  Gituai urged the unity government to complete the Transitional Security Arrangements, including resolving the issues of unified command and force ratios, and redeployment of unified forces.

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South Sudan, World Bank and UNICEF launch communication campaign

UNICEF

The communication campaign will run through the month of March and across multiple media platforms and messaging on the joint health services will be featured on billboards…reports Asian Lite News

South Sudan’s Ministry of Health, World Bank, and UNICEF launched a communication campaign to highlight the ongoing joint health programme and increase awareness among a broad coalition of partners to increase investment in the health sector.

The communication campaign will run through the month of March and across multiple media platforms and messaging on the joint health services will be featured on billboards, videos and public service announcements, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The communication campaign will highlight the importance of various health interventions, including immunisation campaigns and the vaccination against Covid-19,” UNICEF said in a joint statement issued in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

It said the national communication campaign will highlight the joint project of the Ministry of Health, the World Bank and UNICEF supporting Covid vaccine deployment in the country as well as the provision of essential health services for the most vulnerable populations in two of the most hard-to-reach areas — the States of Jonglei and Upper Nile.

It also said that the messages of the national communication campaign will be aired on radio channels and promoted on billboards and the media platforms of the three sides from Tuesday, highlighting the work done to support access to essential health services to the most vulnerable populations in South Sudan.

It warned that preventable diseases like malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia continue to exact a heavy toll on children and women nationwide.

ALSO READ: Food stocks in Sudan could run out in one month: UN

Since 2018, the three sides have been working together to implement a World Bank-financed health sector project that provides essential maternal and child health services in Jonglei and Upper Nile States.

According to the UN Children’s Fund, the project has so far contributed to immunising 156,991 children with the penta 3 vaccines and 153,394 children with the measles vaccines and provided 67,956 pregnant women with antenatal care services.

It also ensured that 26,358 newborns were delivered with the help of skilled health personnel. In 2021, the project facilitated the delivery of 587 metric tons of medical supplies and medicines and supplied soap, buckets, and water purification tablets for 685,000 people in both states.