Three issues lie at the heart of concern for humanitarian actors in Southern Sudan: tribal clashes, north-south movements and breakdown of security. So far this year, 407 people have been reported killed in inter- and intra-tribal violence or clashes between civilians and security forces, adding to 216 killed in the last two weeks of December alone.
According to reports by authorities and assessment teams, an estimated 40,843 people were displaced in January and February. Warrap along the border of Unity state has been particularly affected, and with little UN and NGO presence, the area remains diffi cult to reach. Tension persists on the border between Warrap and Lakes states in Cueibet County, where a tribe clashed with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), killing more than 20 people and displacing an unknown number.
At least 25 emergency operations were underway in February in nine of the south’s 10 states, including in Lakes, the border between Warrap and Unity, and in Tonj counties in Warrap. There is also ongoing response in Akobo in Jonglei and in Ezo in Western Equatoria.
Efforts are underway to track the number of displaced people who have been unable to return home. WFP food distribution fi gures, UN and NGO presence on the ground and reports from the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission estimate that 231,000 people displaced during 2009 remained displaced at the end of the year. Verifi cation of these fi gures continues this year.
In February, humanitarian actors also focused on responding to earlier displacements, including in Unity, where cross-border tribal fi ghting in Warrap displaced several thousand people into the towns, and lack of water is a major concern. Across the three northern Unity counties, water shortages remain an issue that compounds ongoing confl icts.
In addition, a pharmaceutical supply gap following procurement delays worsened over the month. Reports of essential drug shortages in health facilities reliant on Ministry of Health drug kits have been received from 43 of 79 counties across Southern Sudan.
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