GENEVA, Switzerland, June 13, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM in coordination with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is supporting the relocation of 2,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the existing protection of civilians (PoC) site at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Malakal, Upper Nile State, to a new adjacent site that can accommodate up to 10,000 people in 1,065 tents.
There are currently over 18,000 IDPs sheltering at the Malakal PoC – the third largest PoC in South Sudan. IOM is responsible for planning and development work at the new site. It is also the camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) state coordinator for Upper Nile.
Relocation started on 31 May, and to date, 4,542 individuals have been safely transferred to the new PoC with the support of UNMISS, IDP community leaders, and CCCM partners. The relocation of families to the new site was prioritized based on vulnerability, special needs and current living conditions – 529 tents are currently occupied at the site.
The relocation exercise is part of the CCCM cluster strategy to decongest PoCs and improve the provision of basic services including protection, sanitation and health access for thousands of IDPs. The strategy also takes into account scenario planning of IDP living spaces that mitigate the threat of endemic waterborne diseases during the rainy season.
Meanwhile IOM is appealing for USD 97.2 million from the international community to continue providing a range of life-saving emergency humanitarian interventions across South Sudan for the duration of 2014.
The revised funding appeal reflects the reality on the ground, where over one million IDPs are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Over 94,000 people are currently sheltering in protection of PoC sites, the largest of which are located in Central Equatoria State (Juba, 31,886), Unity State (Bentiu, 38,034) and Upper Nile State (Malakal).
The crisis continues to unravel in a context of chronic poverty, mass displacement and overstretched coping strategies. Tens of thousands face inadequate access to basic services including water, sanitation and hygiene, health care and shelter. The deteriorating situation has already triggered communicable disease outbreaks including cholera, hepatitis E and measles, and forecasts suggest that millions of South Sudanese will face acute food insecurity in the coming months.
Mindful of the complexities of the ongoing crisis, IOM has adopted an integrated, multi-sectoral approach to ensure a holistic response, focusing on priority sectors where IOM has in-country and institutional expertise.
Operating within the framework of the IASC cluster system, IOM’s interventions are focused in the camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), shelter and non-food item (NFI), health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), protection and logistics clusters.
“Additional funding is needed to strengthen IOM’s ongoing emergency operations to meet the growing needs of displaced persons and vulnerable communities. This is why the continued support of the international community is vital,” said IOM South Sudan Head of Operations, John McCue.
“Our appeal is based on IOM’s capacity to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance in order to effectively address the needs of the affected populations,” he noted.
IOM’s appeal is in line with the inter-agency Crisis Response Plan and within the framework of the cluster system. It highlights emergency humanitarian assistance that IOM, as lead agency for the shelter/NFI and CCCM clusters, and as a major actor in the WASH, health, protection and logistics clusters, proposes to deliver in response to the ongoing crisis.
As of May 2014, IOM has received funding worth USD 43.8 million (44 per cent), which has enabled it to register over 300,000 IDPs; distribute essential relief supplies to over 200,000 people; serve more than 27,000 people with adequate WASH services; and conduct nearly 65,000 health consultations.
To download the IOM South Sudan Crisis Appeal please go to:
http://southsudan.iom.int/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IOM-South-Sudan-Funding-Appeal-Jan-Dec-2014-FINAL.pdf
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