Emergency response underway for mass influx of returnees

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As many as 200,000 returnees are estimated to have already arrived in Southern Sudan. With many more, perhaps double that number, expected to return over the coming months, this chronically underdeveloped region is being stretched far beyond its current capacity. “The scale of the migration is hard to imagine,” said Medair’s Stella Chetham. “People are turning up with everything they have and just camping in makeshift shelters with their possessions piled high. Everywhere we are seeing enormous trucks groaning under the weight of furniture, suitcases, and passengers, and all over the place new shelters are being hastily constructed from sticks and woven grass.” Large settlements of returnees are springing up in the border state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, especially around the town of Aweil. Even before this most recent influx of returnees, the host population of Aweil has struggled to accommodate people displaced from Darfur and from aerial bombings south of the border. Medair is working in close coordination with the government of Southern Sudan to respond to the crisis in the region. Medair’s ERTs are actively providing relief in highly affected border areas while also helping to lead the coordination efforts among the many organisations gathered to provide aid. At present, basic services are almost non-existent in the new settlement sites and camps, with lack of water being the major concern. In the state’s largest settlement in Aweil, currently hosting more than 11,000 returnees, people were waiting two to three hours in queues whenever they needed water from the main borehole. In response, Medair’s WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) team has constructed a simple distribution system with multiple taps, greatly reducing queuing times. At other settlement sites in the region, Medair is constructing emergency latrines and fixing broken pumps on the many existing boreholes that have been out of use. Meanwhile, in nearby Unity state, Medair’s health ERT is working to contain an outbreak of measles among the returnee population. “It’s a very fragile transition time for these returnees, and yet life doesn’t stop for them,” said Jesse Pleger, Medair WASH Advisor. “At one site we came across a badly burned baby, and at another location, we found a woman going into labour. In both cases, thankfully, we were able to call for assistance and get them to treatment centres. People are arriving malnourished, un-immunised, pregnant, sick, and weak. And they’re arriving into an environment far less developed than many of them were used to.” Yet more people are arriving daily, undeterred by the recent insecurity en route, desperate to be able to finally return to their homeland after years of war and uncertainty. When the results of the referendum are announced today, Southern Sudan will almost certainly celebrate its coming independence, with 99 percent expected to have voted for secession. At this key moment in Africa’s history, Southern Sudan is poised to become Africa’s 54th—and the world’s newest—country. “Even with a peaceful referendum, it’s a big unknown how things will work out in practice for this new country,” said Caroline Boyd, Medair’s Deputy Country Director. “Medair has worked in Southern Sudan during the difficult years of war and has remained here through the five-year peace agreement. Our mandate is to assist the most vulnerable and, regardless of what the future holds, we are committed to continue here for as long as our assistance is needed.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For media: Medair staff are available for interviews and more information. Southern Sudan : Stella Chetham, Field  Communication Officer, +249 90 7204228, fco-sds@medair.org Switzerland (Medair HQ): Timothy Chapuis, Media Liaison, +41 21 694 3549, timothy.chapuis@medair.org Medair’s Southern Sudan programme is supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department, the Common Humanitarian Fund, the Multi-Donor Trust Fund, Swiss Solidarity, the Basic Services Fund, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Big Give (U.K.), and private donors.   Since 1991, Medair has responded to the needs of highly vulnerable people in conflict-affected Southern Sudan—particularly women and children under five. We currently provide WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) and health services in Upper Nile State (Melut and Manyo counties), while our emergency response teams provide rapid, life-saving aid during crises within Southern Sudan's 10 states. This media release was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.