Medairs emergency response team seeks to provide aid after conflict in Abyei forces tens of thousands to flee for their lives.

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At least 30,000 people are currently estimated to have arrived in the south, concentrated primarily in Warrap State, with more expected to arrive in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity states. Most people fled immediately, taking almost nothing with them. Needs among the displaced are reportedly high, particularly for food, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), and shelter. Medair has sent an emergency response team to Wunrok, just south of the Abyei border in Warrap state, to assess the health and WASH needs in several locations in the surrounding area and respond as needed. The team is also coordinating with other NGOs on the ground that have moved in to respond. Ownership of the Abyei region is currently disputed between the north and the south.Medair’s Southern Sudan programme is supported by the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection of the European Commission, 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 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 news update 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.