REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN PROGRAMME PLAN 2016
1. Introduction
Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) by the Government of the Republic of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in 2005, and a referendum in which 98.8% of voters’ favoured independence, the Republic of South Sudan became the world’s newest nation in July 2011. Despite optimism that independence would bring peace after decades of civil war, an outbreak of violence in the capital in December 2013 quickly engulfed the country. It has since exacerbated conditions in this deeply impoverished context, exposing the fragile nature of the nation’s institutions and generating a deepening humanitarian crisis.
After much disagreement and under the threat of sanctions by the United Nations (UN), a Peace Agreement was signed by opposition leader Riek Machar in Addis Ababa on August 17th, and subsequently by President Kiir in Juba on August 26th. However, optimism remains muted as fighting continues in Unity and Upper Nile states forcing civilians to flee to isolated swampy areas or to designated protection of civilian (PoC) sites. As of September 2015 the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 1.64 million people are internally displaced while some 630,000 have fled to neighbouring countries.
Food security remains a primary concern for 2016 as poor rains in June and July 2015 are expected to have a negative impact on the harvest. According to the Integrated Food Security Classification report in South Sudan, released in October 2015, an estimated 3.9 million people (34% of the entire population) are classified as “severely food and nutrition insecure.”[1] Alarmingly, 800,000 people are classified as Emergency (IPC 4) while 30,000 people in Unity state are classified as Catastrophe (IPC 5) with famine likely without immediate humanitarian intervention. While environmental factors such as erratic rainfall have contributed to South Sudan’s food insecurity, the situation has severely deteriorated over the past year as a result of the conflict. Market disruptions, high food prices, lack of humanitarian access and the inability of the local population to pursue alternative livelihood options complicate the situation and are unlikely to improve without a lasting cease fire.
Given these challenges and complexities, South Sudan is a difficult environment in which to operate and programming remains very much affected by the lack of capable, accountable and responsive systems and institutions, the precarious security situation, and the absence of a reliable and wide-reaching road and transport network. While infrastructure coverage is generally poor, the rainy season exacerbates conditions, and many areas become unreachable by road. Given the scale of the humanitarian crisis, the fragile economic and fiscal environment, and weak labour market, the outlook for South Sudan for 2016 is deeply concerning.
Country Strategic Plan / Time line: 2013-2016The overall goal of Concern’s programme in South Sudan is to reduce vulnerability and achieve sustainable improvements in people’s lives through effective emergency response, recovery and long-term development programmes. Strategic objectives for 2016 include: increasing the integration of nutrition into all programmes to achieve common nutritional and food security outcomes; increasing the quality of all programmes through the establishment of improved monitoring, evaluation and accountability systems; and improving capacity to rapidly and effectively respond to emergencies.
At present, Concern is implementing an emergency programme in Juba, Central Equatoria State, and in Rubkona, Guit and Leer counties of Unity State. Health and livelihoods programmes are being implemented in Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBeG) State.
2. Programmes
EMERGENCY RESPONSE: Based on the current situation and projections for the comings months, Concern South Sudan expects food security to remain a top priority throughout 2016. The most food insecure states are Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile but the situation is also worsening in Central Equatoria and Juba.
Concern has been elected to the INGO steering committee within the NGO forum and also represents the NGO community on the UN Humanitarian Country Team while at the same time continuing to engage with the relevant thematic UN coordination clusters. Concern continues to act as the State Focal Point for WASH (water sanitation and hygiene) and for Shelter/NFI (non-food items) and through this role is responsible for coordinating the activities of all agencies delivery services in these sectors in Unity State.
Emergency intervention Juba: Concern’s programmes reach approximately 34,674 IDPs in UN House Protection of Civilian sites (PoC) in Juba. Concern operates nutrition services comprising of Outpatient Therapeutic Programmes (OTPs) and Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programmes (TSFPs) in UN House PoC 1 and PoC 3 as well as through a partnership with the Ministry of Health in Gumbo, Rajaf East and Khor Romula, three districts outside of Juba city centre. Additionally, Concern oversees a monthly general food and value voucher distribution programmes in PoC 1 that directly benefits approximately 7,400 individuals (or 2,400 households). Concern is the Focal Point Lead for Nutrition and Shelter/NFI in the PoCs.
Emergency intervention Bentiu: Concern operates within the PoC in Bentiu where approximately 120,000 IDPs[2] are sheltered, providing WASH, NFI/Shelter and Nutrition interventions. Concern is the Focal Point Lead for WASH and Shelter/NFI in the PoCs. If security is restored Concern will support the re-establishment of nutrition, WASH and livelihoods programmes and expand coverage, particularly in Leer, Rubkona and Guit counties.
Emergency intervention in Guit, Leer and Rubkono counties, Unity State: Concern is committed to providing WASH and nutrition services in remote locations in three counties in Unity state to vulnerable communities that have been affected by the conflict. Access has been a challenge in 2015 and programming has been minimal. However, if the peace deal results in improved security and access Concern will respond in these areas and with a national partner NGO in Leer.
LIVELIHOODS:. Concern is implementing an integrated livelihoods programme in South Sudan which will continue in Aweil West, Aweil North and Aweil Centre in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state throughout 2016. Each element of the programme complements the others in seeking to improve the food and income security of approximately 58,500 individuals across the state, with a particular focus on women and youth. Building resilience within vulnerable populations to shocks and stresses, whether natural or man-made, is one of the key objectives of the programme and will be achieved through activities such as: establishing community-based livestock advisory and extension services for smallholder farmers to improve their knowledge of alternative agricultural practices; improving market access by setting up marketing groups, within which savings and lending mechanisms can be utilised. Concern is also the lead agency in a country-wide consortium which aims to improve the climate resilience of over 390,000 people; one of the key outcomes of this innovative project will be to inform environmental disaster risk management planning processes at the community and national levels and work alongside the government and other institutions to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation into policymaking in all sectors.
HEALTH & NUTRITION: Concern’s Health programme will continue in Aweil West and Aweil North in Northern Bahr el Ghazal. The programme aims to improve maternal and child health, particularly through the reduction of excess morbidity and mortality caused by malnutrition and increase the ability of women to make decisions regarding their family’s health and welfare. The programme also seeks to strengthen health services by improving management and delivery through a partnership with the County Health Department as well as increasing community participation, utilisation and demand for health services. The programme will target approximately 164,620 beneficiaries, including 83,700 children under five.
3. Monitoring and Evaluation
Programme/Project / Timeframe / Donors / Quarterly Activities
Contextual Analysis / Baseline/
Endline Study / Mid-term Review / Final Evaluation
Health/Nutrition -NBeG / 01/2012 – 12/2016 / IAPF / Q2 / n/a / n/a / n/a
Emergency Nutrition - Unity / 02/2015 – 01/2016 / ECHO / n/a / Q1 / n/a / n/a
Food Security/
Livelihoods – NBeG / 01/2015 – 12/2016 / EU / n/a / n/a / n/a / Q4
Livelihoods/BRACED - NBeG / 02/2015 – 03/2018 / DFID / n/a / n/a / Q3 / n/a
Nutrition - Juba, Unity & NBeG / 03/2015 – 03/2016 / UNICEF / n/a / n/a / n/a / Q1
Emergency WASH -Unity / 08/2015 – 01/2016 / UN CHF / n/a / n/a / n/a / n/a
Emergency Nutrition - Unity / 08/2015 – 07/2016 / Irish Aid / n/a / n/a / Q1 / Q3
Integrated Humanitarian Assistance – Juba Unity / 09/2015 – 08/2016 / OFDA / n/a / Q3 / n/a / n/a
RoSS
[1] For more detailed information on the food security situation in South Sudan see the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) website at: http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-countries/ipcinfo-eastern-middle-africa/south-sudan/en/.
[2] UNMISS Bentiu PoC Update 26 Sept – 2 Oct