Sudan - Humanitarian Programs in Mundri County

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001608

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP
NAIROBI FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA, USAID/REDSO, AND FAS
USMISSION UN ROME
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH
NAIROBI FOR SFO
NSC FOR JBRAUSE, NSC/AFRICA FOR TSHORTLEY
USUN FOR TMALY
BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI SU
SUBJECT: Sudan - Humanitarian Programs in Mundri County


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Summary
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1. From June 20 to 23, USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster
Assistance (USAID/OFDA) Disaster Operations Specialist Jennifer
Mayer visited humanitarian programs in Mundri County, Western
Equatoria State, Southern Sudan. In September 2005, conflict over
grazing rights between Dinka and Moru groups erupted in Mundri
County. Heavy fighting in the area lasted for several months,
displacing thousands of people. Communities are beginning to
recover, but the conflict and low levels of rainfall last season
have resulted in diminished food stocks and a more acute hunger gap
than in years past. According to the Sudan Relief and
Rehabilitation Commission (SRRC),more than 6,200 internally
displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees have returned to Mundri County
since January 2006. The potential for ethnic conflict and continued
volatility, however, remains the main factor threatening post-war
recovery in Western Equatoria, as evidenced by the outbreak of
fighting in Mvolo County. USAID/OFDA is funding four partners in
Mundri County in support of food security, income generation,
health, infrastructure improvements and capacity building for local
organizations. End Summary.

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Background
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2. From June 20 to 23, USAID/OFDA's Jennifer Mayer visited
USAID/OFDA-funded humanitarian programs in Mundri County, Western
Equatoria State, Southern Sudan. In fiscal year 2006, USAID/OFDA is
funding four partners in Mundri County in support of food security,
income generation, health, infrastructure improvements and capacity
building for local organizations.


3. In 1992, the first major South-South conflict occurred in Bor
County, driving the majority of Bor Dinka to Equatoria. Since that
time Mundri County has hosted tens of thousands of Dinka cattle
herders and hundreds of thousands of Dinka-owned cattle. Relations
between the local Moru communities and the well-armed Dinka cattle
herders have always been tense. In September 2005, conflict erupted
between the Dinka and Moru over grazing rights in Mundri County. As
Dinka herdsmen moved through the region en route to Bor County,
their livestock damaged Moru crops and tensions between the two
ethnic groups ignited. Heavy fighting in the area lasted several
months, displacing farm communities and destroying local cropland,
villages, and homesteads.


4. In addition to the conflict, low rainfall levels last season
have resulted in crop losses and diminished food stocks at the start
of the planting season. Communities are facing a more acute hunger
gap than in years past. Few commodities are available in local
markets around Mundri County, and prices are very high. Many
families depend on gathering wild foods for sustenance, a
labor-intensive activity that leaves little time for cultivation.
In response, USAID/OFDA partner Norwegian People's Aid has
distributed food aid in five locations around the county. Local
authorities report that overall cultivation activities are reduced,
which may affect the harvest this year.


5. The SRRC secretary in Lui reports that more than 6,200 IDPs and
refugees have returned to Mundri County since January 2006. IDPs
are returning from Khartoum, Yambio, Maridi, and Yei, and refugees
are returning from Uganda and the Central African Republic. Most
returnees are staying with relatives and reintegrating smoothly into
communities, and the onset of the rainy season and the hunger period
has slowed returns to the county. Very few land disputes have
arisen since the Dinka have moved out of Mundri, and the security
situation has calmed.

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Samaritan's Purse Supports Lui Hospital
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6. USAID/OFDA partner Samaritan's Purse has operated Lui Hospital
in cooperation with the Episcopal Church of Sudan since September

1997. With the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the
presence of this well-supplied and fully staffed hospital has been
the principal reason for IDP and refugee returns to the area as well
as for the economic revitalization of Mundri County. Thousands of
people have returned over the past two years, and schools, markets,
and businesses have reopened. Lui Hospital serves a population of

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approximately 300,000 people living within a 120-mile radius of Lui
Town. People who live closer to another regional hospital, for
instance in Yei or Koteiba, often travel to Lui due to the
hospital's reputation for high standards of care and reliable
supplies of pharmaceuticals.


7. Lui Hospital has expanded in the past 18 months to include a
nursing school. Twenty students from all over Southern Sudan are
currently enrolled, and the school has graduated 45 nurses to date.
Training consists of three levels, ranging from basic nursing
procedures to the equivalent of a Registered Nurse certification.
The nursing school improves the standard of care not only at Lui
Hospital but also at clinics and hospitals across Southern Sudan,
building capacity of the health sector and facilitating a transition
from relief to development.


8. Lui Hospital treats on average 450 patients per month, over half
of whom are children. The hospital's pediatric ward has 32 beds and
is regularly occupied beyond capacity. The most common ailments
affecting children are malaria, gastroenteritis, and respiratory
infections. Lui Hospital also has a well-equipped surgical ward
staffed by a trained surgeon. During the fighting in late 2005, the
hospital was the only facility in the area with a trained surgeon
and adequate equipment and drugs to treat the wounded. The hospital
administrator reports that the Government of Southern Sudan's (GOSS)
Ministry of Health has no plans to assume management responsibility
for Lui Hospital in the foreseeable future.

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CHF International Supports Food Security, Infrastructure, and Income
Generation
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9. USAID/OFDA partner CHF International implements a variety of
programs in Mundri County aimed at improving food security and
providing income-generation opportunities for local households. The
Lui Women's Bakery Project bakes bread for sale to community
residents. CHF's beekeeping initiative aims to increase local honey
production and farmer incomes. CHF also assists the Mundri Youth
Development Association to sponsor agricultural activities, sports
clubs, and small enterprises for young men and women throughout the
county.


10. CHF's sub-partner, MEDIC, supports a local women's collective
producing lulu nut (shea nut) oil for use in making lotion, cooking
oil, and soap. The collective has been quite successful, with
members selling between 40 to 60 liters of oil per day to
international non-governmental organizations, local markets
(including Juba),and even external markets (Nairobi and the United
States). The program provides marketable skills and a regular
income to 45 women participants in the collective.


11. CHF also supports construction of local county headquarter
buildings in Mundri and Koteiba. The Mundri County Headquarters
Office was completed in March 2006 and houses the county
commissioner and administrative offices. The county commissioner
reports that even with the construction of new offices, significant
infrastructure needs remain, including feeder roads, repair of
secondary schools, and offices for payam authorities. The
commissioner reports the state governor approved a budget for these
activities, but funds have not yet been made available.

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Comment
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12. The main factor threatening post-war recovery in this
agricultural region of Western Equatoria State is the potential for
renewed ethnic conflict. While security conditions are improving in
Mundri now that the Dinka and their cattle have returned to Bor
County, open conflict continues, with dozens of recent killings
reported, in nearby Mvolo County. The GOSS is not yet able to
maintain law and order. A humanitarian focus on essential services
may be needed for another year in Western Equatoria State, before
long-term funding mechanisms are in place, the GOSS is established
and functioning well, and recovery of local economies allows people
to meet needs on their own. End comment.

HUME