A church leader is urging political leaders and relevant stakeholders to create a conducive environment to attract the return of refugees and IDPs back home. Continue reading Stakeholders told to make return of IDPs, refugees attractive
Category: Humanitarian
Congolese army frees detained WES fisherman after ransom.
A Western Equatoria State fisherman who spent nearly a year in detention has been released by the Congolese army after the family paid 700 US dollars.
Gibson Alex, 35,and his young brother, Seme Michael, 23, were arrested by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the border area of Sakure in Nzara County.
Gibson Alex was released on Wednesday this week after the family paid the Congolese authorities a negotiated sum of 700 US dollars.
“We paid seven papers [$700] and he has been released.He is now with me at home but he is sick and his health is deteriorating. We have taken him for treatment,” his father Alex Taban confirmed to Eye Radio.
Taban said the money was contributed by relatives and family members.
“Some family members contributed with the money and even communities also contributed after reaching what they [Congolese authority] want, we paid for him to be released,”his father Alex Taban confirms.”
The two brothers were accused by the Congolese soldiers of crossing with firearms into the Congolese territory.
After their arrest in October last year, the siblings were transferred to Dungu, a Congolese town in Haut-Uele Province.
They were among a group of people who allegedly attempted to cross for fishing at River Mbuere situated, a few kilometers from Sakure Payam. But, the younger brother, Seme Michael was first released after the family paid $300 to the Congolese authorities.
Sexual violence on increase in S. Sudan, says UNMISS
Sexual violence cases have doubled in the country at the time that violence against civilians has decreased, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan has said. Continue reading Sexual violence on increase in S. Sudan, says UNMISS
UNOCHA releases $19m for the flood response in South Sudan
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has released 19 million US dollars in funding to help communities in South Sudan prepare for imminent flooding this rainy season.
UNOCHA said in a statement last week that the finance will be channeled to UN agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide coping strategies to people in the Bentiu camps and the surrounding areas in Unity State.
South Sudan is projected to suffer a fourth consecutive year of extreme flooding over the coming months, according to experts.
Tens of thousands in Unity State are still suffering from the aftermath of last year’s flooding, with many confined in poor hygiene at overcrowded camps.
The agency said more than 320,000 people are already displaced and at risk of further displacement, loss of livelihoods, disease outbreaks, and food insecurity.
Sara Beysolow Nyanti is the agency’s Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan.
She said the funding will help build resilience after three years of unprecedented flooding which has devastated people’s lives.
“As the rainy season has started, this funding will enable humanitarian organizations to soften the blow of another crisis by preparing and protecting communities in Bentiu in advance,” she said.
The money was released by two subsidiaries of the agency; the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SSHF) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Some $4 million of the funding is expected to enable NGOs and UN agencies to reinforce dikes around vital access roads, displaced people’s homes, the airstrip, and other infrastructure.
The remaining 15-million dollars-allocations will support people to protect their homes and key infrastructures such as latrines and water wells, from floodwater, and thus aim to avert a public health emergency.
Days ago, the Ministry of Health declared a cholera outbreak in several IDP camps and the surrounding areas of Rubkona County.
Toddler killed in granary collapse in WES
A girl of one year has died after a grain store collapsed in Gangura Payam of Western Equatoria State.
A family member said a heavy downpour around accompanied by a violent storm triggered the deadly incident, reportedly weakening the poles of the granary and leading to its collapse.
“What happened yesterday is people were under the granary store, after it collapsed, a child died and four other people are still alive,” Arcangelo Musura who is the girl’s uncle told Eye Radio on phone.
The incident which occurred Friday in Nambiri village of Yambio County also left the girl’s grandmother injured.
The deceased toddler is identified as Adia Micheline.
Her grandmother Hellen Donato, 50, sustained injuries on the leg while three others survived the building collapse.
“The only person who got injured is the grandmother of the child. The name of the child [deceased] is Adia Micheline and she was one year and eight months.
“So the grandmother is 50-year-old and what happened to her is she got injuries on the leg and she is in the hospital. She is still somehow.”
Donato is currently receiving treatment at Yambio State Hospital.
Granary stores are used for keeping farm produce by many communities in Western Equatoria.
Such storage facilities are locally built with mud and roofed with grass which is also used as verandah.
In September 2017, a woman in her 70s also died after a granary store warped on her in the Baguga area of Yambio County.
Construction of dykes begin in Fangak to prevent flooding – Official
The construction of dykes has begun around the flood-prone Fangak County of Jonglei State, the state minister of information has said.
Continue reading Construction of dykes begin in Fangak to prevent flooding – Official
Mother arrested after leaving newborn baby unattended for six hours in hospital
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of intending to abandon her newborn baby boy after leaving it unattended for six hours after giving birth in a hospital.
That’s according a midwife.
A medical report seen by Eye Radio indicated that Irene, 25, delivered Tuesday at around 11:30 pm at the Nyakuron Primary Health Care Center in Juba.
The health assessment report cites, the baby and his mother were in a good condition.
However, Irene Eye Radio identified her single name left the facility this morning at around 9am, claiming she was going to freshen up in the washroom.
But hours later, she was nowhere to be found, causing panic among the midwives.
Roda Luba, a Midwife at Nyakuron Primary Health Care Center in Juba narrated to Eye Radio what happened.
“This mother came yesterday [Monday], after delivery she slept with us here until morning. There were other people who escorted her, two women and a man. Two went and a woman left here till morning. After she delivered around midnight, she slept and we did not know what was happening.”
“She told me at around 9am that she wants to go to the toilet and she wants to exchange the pad and I said ok you go. From that time, I did not see her till this time.”
Luba said the lactating mother appeared this afternoon after they reported the matter to the police and has been arrested.
Over the weekend, Police in Lakes State announced the arrest of a woman who dumped her newly born baby boy in a pit latrine at Rumbek State Hospital.
The child was rescued alive the following morning and was cared for by the Catholic Diocese of Rumbek.
In September last year, Police in Nimule also arrested a 19-year-old mother for allegedly killing her newborn by throwing it into a pit latrine.
The incident happened barely a month after Police in Northern Bahr el Ghazal arrested a woman for beheading her baby in Aweil town.
RRC withdraws restrictions on national, international NGOs
The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission has revoked its request to national and international NGOs to obtain clearance before conducting workshops and conferences.
The circular issued on 7th, April 2022, had required that aid partners apply to carry out such activities.
Others include, seminars, consultative meetings, conventions, summits, public lectures, debates, discussions and field research.
In a letter dated 26th, April, 2022, addressed to the South Sudan NGO forum, RRC said, it has resolved to withdraw the decision.
The statement partly read “The new procedures have shifted away a considerable amount of resources and energy from intended goals and objectives which may slow down humanitarian response amid rising humanitarian needs across South Sudan.”
The commission said NGOs can now revert to the previous clearance procedures without any fees.
The South Sudan’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission is an agency of the Government of South Sudan.
It is the operational arm of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, regulating activities of humanitarian organizations in the country.
RRC in coordination with the International Office of Migration and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is responsible for resettling internally displaced persons across South Sudan.
Enacting IDPs bill shouldn’t delay, UN Rapporteur tells govt
A former UN Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons is urging the unity government to table before the national parliament the drafted bill on the IDPs.
Between 2018 and 2019, Prof. Chaloka Beyani supported the government to draft a bill on Internal Displaced Persons in South Sudan.
The bill states the government approach on the protection of displaced persons across the country.
It also provides for a society approach to durable solution and provision of a framework on protection and assistance for IDPs within South Sudan.
Days ago, the UN Refugee Agency – UNHCR engaged the lawmakers on the advantages of domestication of the Kampala convention.
The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa known as as the Kampala Convention calls on the member states to refrain from, prohibit and prevent arbitrary displacement of populations.
It also discourages political, social, cultural and economic exclusion and marginalization that are likely to cause displacement of populations or persons by virtue of their social identity, religion or political opinion.
In recent days, lawmakers discussed issues related to the Convention on Statelessness and the South Sudan Durable Solutions Strategy for Displacement.
During the deliberation, the visiting former UN Special Rapporteur on IDPs and Member of UN High level Mission to Libya praised efforts by South Sudan authorities in restoring peace in the country.
“Tremendous efforts have been made to build peace, consolidate peace within South Sudan through the revitalized peace agreement, the reconstitution of the government, the transitional parliament itself,” Prof. Chaloka Beyani said.
However, the expert urged the unity government to pass the IDPs bill to ensure full protection of the displaced persons.
“The bill is indeed their tool that helps them to restore their rights, to restore their livelihoods as South Sudanese citizens and to be able to resume those livelihoods again.”
Meanwhile, the UNHCR Assistant Representative on IDPs Protection in South Sudan said having such laws will help the government to have a clear responsibility and coordination mechanisms on issues related to IDPs.
“We say if you have a law, the rights of IDPs become clear for government officials. You will see a clear coordination mechanism so that there won’t be confusion among different ministries and between central government and county level or state level,” Allehone Abebe said.
“So as we struggle to respond to ongoing emergencies in South Sudan or any other places, it is very important to have these legislations because they really provide long term solutions, early warning systems,” he added.
For his part, the Chairperson for Legislation and Justice Committee at the reconstituted TNLA, Hon. James Mabor assured the refuge agency of their commitment to enact the law.
“When their bills come to us in the assembly, for sure we will work to see that they are passed and also budgeted for in the implementation.”
According to UNHCR, South Sudan hosts some 330,000 refugees and asylum-seekers mainly from Sudan.
The Country also has 2 million internally displaced persons due to conflict, insecurity and the impact of climate change.
The agency adds that over 500,000 South Sudanese refugees have returned to the country since the signing of the Revitalized Peace Agreement in 2018.
Charity organization serves most neglected elderly with ready-made food in Yambio
A faith-based organization in Western Equatoria has initiated a monthly program to provide ready-made food to impaired and neglected elderly persons in Yambio town.
The Compassionate and Humanity Organization of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio said it is targeting those who are the most vulnerable and not attended to by their family members.
Last week, the Charity organization reached out to nearly a hundred of elderly people from disadvantaged families.
“They are always used to eating vegetables and other local foods so we cannot again cook Gadia [Cassva leaves] or any other vegetable and take to them,” Banzenze Simon the Administration and Finance at Compassionate and Humanity Organization said.
He went on to say “What we do is to contribute, then we buy beef and prepare with some Okra so that it can be well boiled because some of them are toothless. They eat without any problem.”
The organization members also mobilize and contribute other nonfood items such as shelters, blankets and clothes.