Field Dispatch: Journey into Uncertainty
in
Prevention
Protection
South Sudan
Field Report
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Sep 29, 2011
By Nenad Marinkovic
Bentiu, Unity State, South Sudan – The escalation of the conflict in
South Kordofan between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the
Sudanese People’s Liberation Army – North, or SPLA-N, is continuing to
force many residents of the region into displacement. Over 70,000
people are estimated to have been displaced since the first days of
clashes in early June.[i] While the majority of people have moved
north, many others have moved southward into the newly independent
state of South Sudan. The Yida refugee settlement, which emerged in
South Sudan’s Unity State following the start of the crisis, offers at
least some feeling of safety and shelter, yet the journey for many of
these people will not end there.
Yida village is in the northernmost part of Unity State in South
Sudan, around 11km from the border with the north, and is now home to
around 10,000 people displaced from South Kordofan. The latest OCHA
report, which was based on registration figures by the UN Refugee
Agency, or UNHCR, estimated the number to be 9,200. Only in recent
weeks, this number has reportedly risen by a few thousand people and
is continuing to grow as more people arrive in search of safety.[ii]
Yet the Yida settlement is considered by some to be in an unsafe area.
At only 11 km away from the Sudanese border at its closest point, it
is too close to the conflict zone by UNHCR’s protection
standards.[iii] International agencies share the belief that the
settlement’s location near the conflict zone is a serious issue,
though the displaced individuals are willing to remain in proximity to
the border, according to INTERSOS’s Country Director. Antonov bombers
from the Sudanese Air Force have been seen flying over Yida on
reconnaissance missions at very low altitudes, some as low as 1,000
feet, according to a relief worker who spoke on condition of
anonymity. Adding to the overall feeling of unease by international
relief workers is the fact that the nearest SPLA base is only 2.5 km
from the settlement. UNHCR and the government of Unity State have
therefore identified an alternative location for a refugee camp 75km
from the border that the UN argues would be more accessible to relief
agencies, far from potential threats. Its location would also allow
for the allocation of arable land for farming to the displaced
individuals, [iv] thus lessening their future dependence on relief
operations. The humanitarian agencies, led by UNCHR, recently
assembled a six-member committee made up of displaced individuals to
take part in a ‘go and see’ visit to the new location, which is
located north of Bentiu.
Mahdi, a Nuban and community traditional leader was one of the
six-member committee. He went through a tremendous struggle to get his
family to safety, out of the conflict zone in South Kordofan. In fact,
he and his family found themselves in Kadugli when the clashes erupted
and his recollection of events during the first days of the fighting
is very disturbing. Mahdi recalls, for example, seeing people shot in
the streets for being alleged SPLA-N supporters. He and his family
quickly decided to hike alongside some 150 people who were moving
toward the town of Al Hamera. After sixteen days of long walking, SAF
Antonovs started bombing the convoy of people, forcing them to run for
cover. Mahdi says that in the flurry of activity, the families in the
convoy were scattered across a wide area and it took days for some of
them to reunite and resume their walk, which finally ended three days
later in the town of Reqa. Mahdi’s hopes of finding safety in Reqa
were short lived, however, as SAF was continuously shelling the town
with Antonov bombers and MIG fighter jets. After weeks of fear and
desperation he made a resolution to take his family across the border
into the territory of South Sudan, and finally arrived at Yida in
Unity state. With a glimpse of a smile on his face, he said, “we are
finally safe”. Yet he and his family may soon have to undertake yet
another journey.
There is no unanimous decision among the displaced on UNHCR’s plan to
relocate the refugees to Nyll, though some have admitted that it may
be the only way to improve living conditions and access to services.
Some 600 youth and teachers will voluntarily relocate to the site
within a month, which the UN hopes will encourage others to follow.
UNHCR and its implementing partner INTERSOS are working on providing
the conditions for them to settle down and continue attending school,
as some 900 children and youth are now attending makeshift schools in
temporary structures. According to one Enough Project source,
opposition to the relocation idea is very political in nature, as many
of the displaced are unwilling to move far from the border for fear
that it will not only make eventual return more difficult but will
also open the door for those who would rather see the Nuba remain in
the South. Others in Yida, who have family members still in South
Kordofan, do not wish to move even further from their relatives. Also,
according to some Enough Project sources, life in Yida settlement has
gradually developed into a routine—there is small marketplace set up
and some traders have managed to find ways to bring food and other
items to sell, though often at soaring prices.
There is an acute need for better services in Yida settlement. While
food is being provided by WFP, water is being shared by local Yida
residents who, while welcoming, have been quite overwhelmed by the
large number of the displaced. Water and hygiene both remain
problematic, with women and children having to wait up to one hour to
get water. Alternative sources of water are being planned, but limited
access and threats of water contamination are still serious concerns.
Additionally, levels of malnutrition among new arrivals are
increasing. As OCHA’s humanitarian bulletin reports, “Humanitarian
assistance therefore focuses on providing food, inclusive of
therapeutic feeding, when needed.”[v] Despite these efforts, the
situation continues to be uncertain.
Given the current situation, all parties must urgently find a
sustainable solution to the displacement crisis caused by the conflict
in South Kordofan. Relocation seems to be the preferred option of the
Unity State government and UNCHR, but many of the displaced continue
to resist the idea for various reasons. According to the latest OCHA
humanitarian bulletin, leaders of the displaced are negotiating with
humanitarian agencies while UNHCR is setting up wait stations along
the route to the new site in preparation for movement. Whether the
displaced will ultimately choose to move again, however, remains to be
seen.
[i] OCHA, “Statement on south Kordofan by Under-Secretary –General for
Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos,” 21 June 2011, available at
http://ochanet.unocha.org/p/Documents/South%20Kordofan%20ERC%20statement%2021%20June%202011.pdf.
[ii] Enough Project interview with representatives of the displaced
and UNHCR, Bentiu, Unity State.
[iii] Norwegian Refugee Council, Camp Coordination and Camp Management
Handbook, 2008, p. 193, available at
http://www.nrc.no/arch/_img/9293559.pdf.
[iv] Bonifacio Taban, “Over 5,000 Refugees from South Kordofan Arrive
in Unity State for Settlement,” 06 August 2011, available at
http://reliefweb.int/node/439415.
[v] OCHA, Weekly Humanitarian Bulletin, 22 September 2011, available
at http://reliefweb.int/node/448878.
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