DARFUR - NEW IDPS OVERWHELM AL SALAM CAMP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 001080 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 GENEVA FOR NKYLOH NAIROBI FOR SFO NSC FOR PMARCHAM, MMAGAN, AND TSHORTLEY ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU USUN FOR TMALY BRUSSELS FOR PLERNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM SOCI UN SU SUBJECT: DARFUR - NEW IDPS OVERWHELM AL SALAM CAMP KHARTOUM 00001080 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Begin summary: Since early May, an influx of newly displaced persons arriving in Al Salam camp near Nyala, South Darfur, has created a localized humanitarian emergency. New arrivals are often in poor health, and relief agencies are providing much-needed humanitarian aid. USAID field staff report that water and sanitation, camp security, and overall case management are ongoing concerns for Al Salam camp, which has already exceeded maximum capacity. End summary. -------------- NEW ARRIVALS -------------- ¶2. The population of Al Salam internally displaced person (IDP) camp has more than doubled from an estimated 14,500 in early May, to nearly 35,000 as of July 4, approximately 5,000 people above maximum capacity. The majority of new arrivals report fleeing fighting in Tulus, Buram, and Rehed el Birdi localities in southwestern South Darfur beginning in early 2007. Many IDPs initially stopped at towns in Ed el Fursan locality, seeking temporary work en route to Nyala. USAID field staff also received reports that local government officials discouraged many IDPs who stopped in the intermediary towns of Antikayna and Katayla from traveling onward to Nyala. This accounts for the lapse between the time IDPs left their homes and arrived in Al Salam. IDPs continued to arrive by truck to Al Salam camp as recently as July 4. ¶3. The new arrivals, many of whom are in poor health and are experiencing malnutrition, have created a significant demand for expanded relief services in the camp. As Al Salam is the only Nyala-area camp able to receive additional IDPs, relief organizations, including several USAID-partners, have responded rapidly to hire additional staff, expand existing programs, and meet the needs of the growing camp population. ¶4. Malnutrition, acute jaundice syndrome, and an unusually high incidence of the parasitic disease bilharzia among new arrivals indicate an urgent need for clean water and sanitation facilities, hygiene promotion, health services, and therapeutic feeding programs. Most new arrivals require shelter, food, and general household commodities. Camp officials are also concerned about maintaining security within the camp. A mob of IDPs recently assaulted an individual reportedly recognized as an Arab militia member who attacked their villages. ¶5. The southern portion of Al Salam camp is in a low-lying area that is prone to flooding during the rainy season. Plans to relocate approximately 10,000 IDPs to a new extension area on the north side of the camp have been pending completion of a new water distribution system. To date, approximately 2,500 IDPs and many new arrivals have relocated to the new extension area. CHF International and Humedica are organizing the relocation process. -------------- RESPONSE EFFORTS -------------- ¶6. As camp coordinator, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Humedica has mobilized quickly and effectively to distribute non-food items to the new arrivals, and will provide a non-food item replenishment to old IDPs in mid-July. Humedica also coordinated with CHF International to provide shelter materials for incoming households. World Vision has registered most new arrivals and on July 3 began the monthly distribution of food rations to more than 30,000 IDPs who had registered as of June 30. The remaining 5,000 new arrivals are receiving 15-day emergency food rations until they can be registered for general food distributions. ¶7. In response to critical health needs, Humedica is constructing a cholera treatment center, and both Humedica and International Medical Corps (IMC) are hiring health staff and obtaining additional equipment and drugs. From July 1 to 6, the South Darfur Ministry of Health coordinated an expanded immunization campaign, which included vaccinations against eight diseases. Following an unusually large number of reported bilharzia cases, IMC and the State Ministry of Health launched a week-long screening effort on July 2. More than 50 percent of screened individuals tested positive for bilharzia. Humanitarian agencies are providing medication that will help prevent additional camp residents from acquiring the disease. In response to a steady rise in acute jaundice syndrome (89 cases the week of June 23-29, compared to 44 cases the previous week) and KHARTOUM 00001080 002.2 OF 002 water contamination in 60 percent of households sampled, the South Darfur Office of Water and Environmental Sanitation (WES) plans to flush the existing water system with chlorine. ¶8. Water is a priority need for new arrivals, and WES is in the process of completing a new water distribution system for the camp's extension area by July 15. WES has drilled five boreholes to increase the water supply; all have low water yields, prompting concerns about the ability to meet the increased water demand at the camp. A team of technical experts is surveying the area for other drilling locations. In the interim, CARE tankered 50 cubic meters of water per day to the camp in June and increased this amount to 100 cubic meters per day to meet the needs of the growing population. ¶9. To improve sanitation, CARE has constructed eight trench latrines in the new extension area for temporary use, and is constructing 300 new household latrines. In addition, the NGO has cleaned 930 household latrines in other areas of the camp. CARE also plans to construct shower cubicles and secure places for women to do laundry after the latrines are completed. Additionally, NGOs are implementing hygiene promotion campaigns. CARE has trained 18 hygiene promoters with a focus on household-level hygiene and water-container cleaning, and on June 28 conducted a camp cleanup campaign with more than 5,000 participants. IMC is recruiting community health workers to provide hygiene education during in-home screenings. ¶10. A nutrition survey conducted by Action Contre la Faim (ACF) in May indicated a global acute malnutrition rate of 23.3 percent and a severe acute malnutrition rate of 2.8 percent, both above emergency thresholds. In response, ACF has expanded outpatient therapeutic feeding services to two days per week and has opened a supplementary feeding center that also operates two days per week. ACF is distributing cereals and vegetable seeds to new arrivals, reaching 4,110 households as of July 4. ¶11. Humedica is running two schools with a total of 60 classes, and is discussing with NGOs potentially opening another school with between 30 and 40 additional classrooms. Humedica has identified the need for child and youth-friendly spaces and has requested that an NGO fill that need. Following the suspension of Humedica's school feeding program in April due to blocked food supplies, World Vision has asked the U.N. Food Program to provide food for newly arriving children and pregnant or lactating mothers. ¶12. In response to security concerns, Humedica, the Government of National Unity's (GNU) Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC),and local police conducted a meeting with sheikhs and the camp community. The sheikhs agreed to contribute to maintaining security in the camp by reporting all security-related concerns to the police. The African Union is working with the sheikhs on the establishment of a community policing program. -------------- ONGOING CONCERNS -------------- ¶13. In Al Salam camp, USAID field staff note ongoing concerns regarding adequate water and sanitation facilities in the new extension area; camp capacity; and camp security. Althougj WES has pldgEd to complete(the~ew watr !nd w!nitatyon(facLi4iec$if t`eQ~??wQ~~