SOUTHERN SUDAN - RELIEF TO RECOVERY PROGRESS IN CENTRAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 000766

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, PRM, AND ALSO PASS USAID/W
USAID FOR DCHA SUDAN TEAM, AFR/SP
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 SU
SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SUDAN - RELIEF TO RECOVERY PROGRESS IN CENTRAL
EQUATORIA STATE

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SUMMARY
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(U) From April 28 to April 30, the Director of USAID's Office of
U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) traveled to Lainya and
Yei counties in Central Equatoria State, Southern Sudan, to meet
with USAID/OFDA partners and local government authorities to review
the impact of USAID/OFDA-funded programs on vulnerable populations.
Lainya County, with an estimated population of 200,000 people,
experienced significant displacement during the civil war. However,
Lainya County is further along than most other counties in Southern
Sudan in transitioning away from emergency relief aid to more
sustainable recovery and development assistance. The USAID/OFDA
Director visited CHF International, ZOA Refugee Care (ZOA),and
Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) activities in Lainya County. End
Summary.

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SUSTAINABLE HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
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1. (U) Since March 2005, the USAID/OFDA-funded ZOA primary health
care project in Lainya County has provided life-saving services to
more than 95,000 people at its three primary health care centers and
11 primary health care units. The total population of the county is
more than 200,000 people. Approximately, 23 percent of those
treated at the facilities are recent returnees. With the
sustainability of the project as a primary focus, ZOA constructed
permanent brick facilities. Many internally displaced persons
(IDPs) and refugees cite the availability of quality health care as
a factor in influencing their decision to return to the county.
Prior to the project there was no county health department. In
addition to ZOA's health care program, the Lainya County Health
Department employs 15 professional health staff and manages 30
community-based health workers and 30 vaccinators. Curative
services are increasingly demanded due to demonstrated professional
service, medicine availability, and motivated staff. By December
2007, ZOA expects that all 11 primary health care units and 3
primary health care centers in Lainya County will be ready to be
handed over to the county health department.


2. (U) Further evidence of the functionality of the Lainya County
Health Department is the fact that the Lainya County Medical Officer
and the Primary Health Care Supervisor have actively lobbied and
negotiated with the Central Equatoria State health authorities to
incorporate the county health department staff into the state public
service payroll and health budget. The county health department
staff are not yet paid by the government, but all the necessary
procedures have been completed to soon make this a reality. This
has increased the confidence of the staff and opened vital
communication linkages between the county health department and the
Central Equatoria State health and public service authorities. The
Lainya County Health Department plans to further engage the Central
Equatoria State authorities in other key health areas such as the
provision of pharmaceuticals.


3. (U) What started as an USAID/OFDA-funded emergency health care
project in 2005 is clearly transitioning into what will soon become
a self-sustaining county government-managed curative and
preventative quality health care program.

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FOOD SECURITY AND LIVELIHOODS
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4. (U) The NPA food security and rural livelihoods program funded by
USAID/OFDA supports returnees and other vulnerable residents in
Lainya County. Using an integrated approach, including the
provision of relief food, agricultural inputs such as seeds and
tools, and training, the program has assisted the conflict-affected
population to revitalize their livelihoods. More than simply
distributing agricultural inputs, the program offers extension
training with the goal of increasing agricultural productivity and
reducing dependency on relief food. Agriculture support activities
are planned and coordinated at the Kenyi Farmer Training Center.
The Kenyi Farmer Training Center hosts food security and agriculture
training workshops and other farmer outreach activities.


5. (U) Since 1998, NPA's program has established 22 farmer training
centers throughout Southern Sudan. These farmer training centers

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have played a major role in the transfer of agricultural technology
to rural areas, as well as providing demonstration plots that
educate farmers on improved agronomical practices. As a result of
the targeted beneficiaries having attained a reasonable level of
food security, 13 of the 22 farmer training centers have been handed
over to local county agriculture departments. However, with the
large number of returnees expected from refugee camps in Uganda and
IDP camps in Central Equatoria State, USAID/OFDA continues to
support the Kenyi Farmer Training Center in Lainya County through
the provision of seeds, tools, and training.


6. (U) Through April 2007, the project has distributed agricultural
supplies to 1,204 returnee households in the county, representing
nearly 100 percent of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation
Commission (SSRRC) registered returning population in the county.
The inputs provided will enable these returnee households to
increase their areas of cultivation by up to 1.5 fedans and will
reduce the returnees' dependency on relief food in the county.
Another significant result of this project is that the Lainya County
Agriculture Department, through the project's capacity building
component, has been able to support the formation of six rural
farmer groups with a total of 88 members. Since its inception in
1998, the Kenyi Farmer Training Center has trained 1,365 farmers,
including 375 women. The training has enabled these farmers to
significantly increase maize and sorghum yields and has resulted in
a considerable decrease in dependency on relief food in Lainya
County. With as many as 30,000 to 50,000 additional people expected
to return to Lainya County in the next two years, the Kenyi Farmer
training Center will play a vital role in the food security of the
county.


7. (U) To support women's livelihoods, CHF International has also
started a women's bakery project, providing the direct beneficiaries
with business skills and cash income. The bakery project injects
more cash into the local economy, as well as providing quality bread
for the community. In addition, the bakery has increased Lainya
community's pride. The county commissioner claims that the bakery
produces, "better bread than any available for purchase in Juba and
Yei." In the coming months, the women's group will receive business
training in areas including bookkeeping, profit-loss margin
analysis, and management in order to build the sustainability of the
small business enterprise.


8. (U) To engage youth and ex-combatants, CHF International has
initiated carpentry skills and business training. The program
trains young men in carpentry through practical experience. To
date, the direct beneficiaries have produced more than 60 pieces of
high quality wood furniture and have a firm understanding of basic
carpentry. Each of the trained youth receive a package of tools to
start up their own businesses, as well as business skills training
emphasizing how to start and manage a small business.

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COMMENTS
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9. (U) USAID/OFDA-funded relief programs have laid the foundation
for sustainable economic recovery and development in health care,
agriculture, food security, and livelihoods. With the return of
thousands of displaced people to Southern Sudan, transitioning from
relief-oriented programs to assistance that facilitates the
long-term economic recovery and development are critical.
USAID/OFDA understands that visible peace dividends play a key role
in supporting the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and is working with
other USAID offices to ensure that communities continue to see
tangible improvements in their communities.

POWERS