INTER-AGENCY INITIAL RAPID NEED ASSESSMENT TO THE CONFLICT DISPLACED AND FLOOD AFFECTED POPULATION IN GREATER NASIR COUNTY.

 

Inter-Agency Initial Rapid Need Assessment To The Conflict Displaced And Flood Affected Population In Greater Nasir County.     Nasir County, Upper Nile State Date 28th - 30th of August 2024

Fig 1:IDPs focus group discussion during repid need assessmen in Pandanyang village

 

Situation overview

 

One of the most conflict-affected counties in South Sudan is Nasir County, which is located in Upper Nile State. Many citizens felt hopeful about the formation of the revitalized government after the 2018 peace agreement helped to build trust between the warring parties. In 2020, following the establishment of the county government, residents started to relocate to Nasir town in an effort to start over. Life in Nasir town was normal up until January 2024, when a large number of people who had voluntarily returned from refugee camps in neighboring countries did so in the hopes of starting over. The incident occurred on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, when South Sudan People Defense Force (SSPDF) members who had gone to the bush to gather firewood and met with soldiers were greeted by Army youths from Dhuording Payam. Two youths from the civilian population were instantly killed in the fighting. Two civilians were killed in the SSPDF Ambush Dhuording Payam on August 16, and the county RRC director's office called an immediate meeting with agencies working Nasir County in Mandeng Boma. The meeting was attended least fifth ten (15) Organizations including (INGOs) and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as GI-HAD, ADA, UNKEA, RI, ADRA, ALIGHT, NILE HOPE, TADO, CHADO, SRDO, GCAF, WHO, ACHO and CINA are among them. One of the meeting's decisions was to carry out a preliminary humanitarian assessment in order to determine how the recent events have affected civilians who have been displaced. This evaluation seeks to ascertain.

 

County authorities, including the RRC in Nasir town indicated that they have recorded 40,000HH with 240,000 individuals This includes the number of people affected by the recent conflict and the floods. However, humanitarian partners observed during the assessment mission that the overall number of people affected by the recent conflict and the flooding situation in Koat, Kuetrengke and Dingkar Payams in Nasir County is 2,300 households (13,800 Individuals). The IRNA team conducted FGDs and household visits in the assessed and confirmed the presence of IDPs. At least 40% of the interviewed IDPs in Koat are from Nasir incident while 20% were displaced by floods from different villages. Assessment teams’ observation the Numbers affected populations from incident and flood situation are 21.700HH with 130,200 individuals who were triggered by ongoing flood situation. And conflicts between youth and SSPDF that 21700HH are also recorded by RRC offices coordinators in three payams and the flood affected populations are asked for the tools for managing flood spreading

 

Payams	Overall population	#of floods-displaced IDPs	# of conflict-displaced IDPs
Koat	1000	300HH	700HH
Kuetrengke	800	500HH	300HH
Dingkar	500	200HH	300HH
total	2300	Total: 1000HH	Total: 1300

As the number of the IDPs displaced by flood continue to increase on daily basis, partners are now faced with an uphill task to provide immediate assistance including but not limited to food, dignified shelters, health and WASH.

The outcome of the FGDs with beneficiaries and local authorities revealed that the IDPs. Flood affected populations and have swiftly integrated with the host communities this has directly resulted in to overcrowding in shelters raising questions of privacy and fear of domestic violence in families due to limited resources. The returnees currently depend on support from relatives and friends which is not sustainable. The static partners operating in Nasir have limited resources to support the current incident, flood situation and operates under stretch capacities to address the mounting needs of the incoming population.

 

 

 

Assessment Objective

 

To determine the number of people impacted by the recent incident in Nasir town, the number of people affected by the flood, and the humanitarian needs, which include things like health, nutrition, livelihood, education, protection, WASH, and shelter, among other things, for IDPS residents who were recently forced to leave Nasir town or displaced due to an Army clash. The assessment also takes into account the best ways to meet the humanitarian needs that have been identified in the water-covered area in the report.

 

IRNA Methodology used

The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) director of Nasir County and his team, along with humanitarian partners operating in the So bat corridor, have agreed to work together to implement IRNA in order to assess the situation of the displaced individuals and those affected by the flood in the payams and bomas around Nasir town. IRNA questionnaires for qualitative and quantitative data collection tools were collaboratively adapted by the partners in Nasir County for this exercise. The partners execute the exercise using a mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative approach). Through the conversation held during the visit to the relocation sites, partners gathered sample interviews for cluster grouping (qualitative interview i.e. Focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (kiss), and in-person interactions with a range of stakeholders including members of the host community are used to triangulate the results. In addition to Persons with Special Needs (PSN), the team also reached out to children, boys and girls, women, and men. Estimated numbers of lost resources, victims of the violent conflict, and vulnerabilities of the displaced population are disclosed in the findings and accompanying pictorial report.

Drivers and Underlying Factors

 

The focus group discussion revealed that the incident actually started early on August 14, 2024, in response to a report of youths from Dhuording Payam meeting with SSPDF soldiers who were going to collect firewood two kilometers out from Nasir town in the bush. Four civilians were injured and two civilian youths killed during the early-morning clashes that forced the displacement of civilians. The next day, it was reported that the SSPDF attacked Dhuording Payam at approximately 9:20 p.m.; during that attack, two civilians were killed, and the entire town of Nasir and the surrounding villages were under heavy shelling. As a result, 40000 people were forced to evacuate from Nasir town.

Scope of the crisis and humanitarian profile

Most of the bomas and villages in Nasir town have suffered, property damage, and the displacement of civilians as a result of the recent incident. Kuanylual Thoan, Torjuoch, Hai-pour, Majok, and Wunkiir are among the affected residential areas in Nasir Town; the residential area had been abandoned. The displaced civilians, however, made their way to Koat, Wechjock, Dinkar, Ngueny, Pandanyang, Kuetrengke, Torpuot and others settled in schools. Because people have fled the area and are ill-prepared to build the dye in light of the recent incide nt, the flood submerges parts of the villages.

Fig 2: showing the displaced persons settled in Nasir Complex secondary school and nearby borehole

Status of the affected population in the assessed area

The IDP population that has been displaced to villages outside of Nasir town temporarily camped in schools, churches, and open spaces under trees. Some are sharing temporary shelters provided by their hosts. The IDPs have yet to receive emergency supplies such as food, healthcare, WASH, NFIs, shelter, nutrition, and protection. The majority of their homes and properties in their original locations were destroyed or damaged. Women, children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities are most affected by the ongoing suffering. The host and IDPS communities shared limited resources, which has created an additional hardship situation.

Nasir county location Map

Fig 3: Map of Nasir County

Areas Coordinates

Location	Latitude:	Longitude:
Koat Payam	N8°67’54.09	E 33°13’55.015
Kuetrengke Payam	N8°33’35.928	E33°51’40.22
Dinkar Payam	N/A	N/A

Summary of the Key findings

·       Food: The biggest obstacles faced by IDPs are supplying food for their families; in the displaced areas, women, children, and PSN suffer the most. The host community's food supplies ran out quickly because of the growing population, and the Nutrition cluster team saw and measured signs of malnutrition in the children.

·       Health: Partners observed and visited samples in the church and under trees during the exercise. They noted that the majority of common illnesses, such as malaria, coughs, and flus, primarily affected elderly children because of the cold at night and the excessive sun during the day. 

·       Shelter and NFI: In displaced areas with few shelters, the majority of the displaced population was housed by their relatives and well-wishing established community, resulting in overcrowding in shelters. IDPs are forced to share basic non-food items (NFIs) with established communities in the displaced sites due to a lack of NFIs at the household level, such as plastic sheets, kitchen sets, blankets, sleeping mats, jerricans, and mosquito nets. 

·       WASH: Because there are insufficient latrine facilities in the evaluated areas, open defecation has been reported. Because there aren't many boreholes, the majority of the impacted population gets their water straight from the river.

 

Table showing the estimated population in the IDPs sites.

 

S/N	Displaced Location	estimated affected populations	Total estimated affected HH	Total estimated males	Total estimated females	Total estimated population
1	Kuetrengke	6,500	1,2100	2,290	4,210	6,500
2	Koat	8,700	2,354	2,950	5,750	8,700
3	Dinkar	6,500	1,230	2,065	4,435	6,500
Total estimate displaced population		21,700	15,684	7305	14,395	21,700

 

SECTORAL REVIEWS

 

      I.         Education Cluster

Education Key finding

Most of the school is not functioning in Nasir however hoping will resume soon Flooding submerges many villages. Number of children out of school in Nasir town Lack of Psychosocial support. Lack of Teachers’ incentive.

Education Priorities Need identified

Provision of scholastic materials Provision of dignity kits for the adolescent girls. Child friendly space. Psychosocial support. Teachers’ incentive.

Education Specific Recommendation

Construction of temporarily learning space. Provision of scholastic materials.

II.          Food security and livelihoods Cluster

 

Food Security and Livelihoods: Key finding

Lack of agriculture input (tools and seeds. Sharing little production with IDPs due to recent crisis. Fluctuation of rainfall. Lack of fishing gears. Plant, but last for only four months (September & December). Construction of Dyne/ Copy strategies for home base consumption. Building peace and social co-existence.

FSL Priority Needs identified During the assessments

Dyne construction. Incentive for the teachers. Provision of plastic sheets. Provision of fishing gears. Provision of agriculture inputs to the community

FSL Recommendations

Provision of plastic sheets and canoes for evacuation plan. Provision of agriculture inputs after flood for plantation

III.           Health Cluster

Health Key Finding
There are no health facilities in some IDPs area. Shortage of medical supplies in certain health institution in the host communities due to the increasing number of IDP in the locations. Inadequate medical care and overcrowded in the areas, leads to a state associated with infectious illnesses, like acute respiratory infection, skin disease, diarrhea, malaria, conjunctivitis and snake bite. Defaulter from EPI, ANC and Nutrition program and lot of home delivery due to Nasir incident.
Health priority Need identified During the Assessment
Provision of health facilities via medical mobile unit. Provide medical mobile unit and static health facilities with enough medical supplies. Encourage the implementation of integrated health outreach programs. Providing reproductive health kits. Provision of emergency health kits. Insecticide treated mosquito net.
Health Specific recommendation
Additional health emergency program to affected population. Provision of anti-venom to health facilities.

 

IV.            Nutrition Cluster

Nutrition key Finding

Most children who were identified are recovered and discharged from the nutrition program. Mothers and caretakers found it difficult to access the nutrition services because of water level is raising. Limited waiting areas for the Nutrition workers to conduct their services effectively. The areas becomes vast for the CNVs to carryout active case findings in the community. Shortage of technical Nutrition workers and the available staff were overwhelmed with work. No active outreach services available within the displaced population. Lack of Mobile Clinic services to chatter for the displaced people.

Nutrition priority Need identified

Increase number of community nutrition volunteers (CNVs) Setting temporally shelter for waiting areas. Provision of Mobile Clinic to chatter for the influx of IDPs. Increase number of Outreach sites for the people who were cut off by the floods. Increase numbers of technical staff to reduce the work lord of the existing nutrition workers. Key recommendations: ·       Emergency nutrition program to build the gaps. ·       Increase number of CNVs to bridge the gaps of excess IDPs and reach to people cut off by the floods. ·       Setting up nutrition temporally mobile sites to the affected population. ·       Preposition of enough nutrition supplies to mitigate flood response.

V. NFI/Shelter Cluster

NFIs/Shelter Key finding During assessments

People rehabilitate their shelter using local construction materials. Many people were displaced due to the recent conflict that has erupted in Nasir town. People are exposed to cold, heat and bad weather to the lack of emergency shelter. It was identified that approximately 8-12 people lives in one Tukuls. Most of the displaced people have no Tukuls to support their living space. Most of them sleep at churches, school and sometime outside due to congested of space. It was observed that cooking utensil were not enough to support a large extended family under emergency. Many people who were displaced in Nasir town have lost most of their NFIs during relocation and now they are suffering with the scarcity of NFIs which include sleeping mat, saucepan, blanket, jerry can, bucket, and others related sets. Displaced individuals who live in crowded places like churches, and school are being terrified by lack of proper sanitation, good sleeping places privacy. There is an observed of poor hygiene and inappropriate setting of living within the host community and IDPs in all assessed location due to insufficiency of living space? Members of the displaced individuals state that lack of water containers and buckets for collection of water from water point is very challenging. Due to lack of NFIs sets at household level, families are struggling to maintain their dignity and privacy. Some families have lost their homes in Nasir town and they are now in desperate need of shelters/Tukuls. Women also expressed concerns of privacy and lack of sanitary kits (dignity kits).

Shelters/NFI Priority Need Identified

Provision of emergency shelter kits. Provision of shelter construction materials for the extreme vulnerable individuals (EVIS). Construction of Tukuls to those who lost their homes during the war and those who lost their dwelling place due to flood. Provision of shelter, NFI, and NFIs need. Provision of durable shelter constructions

Specific Recommendation

Provision of emergency shelter to the affected population and to those who lost their homes. There is a need for NFIs distribution to the war affected population as they have lost their belonging. Quick action is needed to support the extreme vulnerable individuals by provider of NFIs. The NFIs /shelter partners need to provide shelter support to the war affected areas and IDPs.

 

VI.            Protection Clusters

Protection Key finding

Lack of good shelters as many people were displaced by conflict from their homes. There was insecurity tension because many places are near to Nasir town. Most of the women and girls don’t have the access to hygiene kite. The flood submergence the community residents and reported, there were many snakes displaced from bush by the flood to where people live. Animals also threat the lives of people because some can bite and kill within a minute especially the poisonous ones. People were fear of flooding that might happen at any time during this summertime. There was constant denial of resource and physical violent in the community. Discrimination is very common in the community, when the distribution of the items. During the assessment, it was identified that majority of the girls age 16-17 years have got married before reaching 18 years, and before completed the primary education. This is how early/ force married in the community according to the participants during group discussion with women and girls. Denial of access to economic resource between spouse and intimate partners is the one of the major finding. Because of the overcrowding living condition cause by conflict and flood there were many cases of physical violence among youths, women and men. Many of the people do not have access to Humanitarian services particularly protection services because some of these places are not being targeted and because of flooding, movement to the targeted places to access the services become very difficult. No civil documentations available and in the community, but some people still have their refugees cards.

Protection Priority Need identified

Shelters, NFIs. Protections/safety.

Protection Recommendation

There is a need for protection partners to conduct more training on GVB basic-concept to the community members to mitigate the GVB issues that are happening in the entire county. More awareness raising activities on all types of GVB is needed to reduce the ongoing prevalence of GVB. Training of local leaders, chiefs, county authorities and payams authorities, churches faith organization and elderly people in the community on GVB protection related concepts, Human right and PSEA guiding principles. There is a need to support these people affected by flood with the necessary services which can reduce the ongoing suffering.

 

 

VII.          WASH Cluster

WASH Key Finding During Assessment

Most of the IDPs and the host community are getting water for drink from unsafe water source (river). There is a limited water purification tablet as some areas are lacking pure and qua tab. Limited water storage capacity for most of the households in the affected area. Poor sanitation in the area assessed, there is no proper disposal of waste product in the area assessed. Most of the area assessed lack household toilet facilities. High public risk observed as children going for opened defecation due to lack of emergency toilets at household level. Women and girls have no access to sanitary protection materials. Soap is so expensive for household to buy. It took less than30 minutes for fetching water from river to be used at homes for drinking, bathing and washing utensils

WASH Priority Need Identified

·       Emergency wash NFI such as bar soap, plastic sheet, blanket, utensils, bucket, aqua tab, water, purification tablet. ·       Emergency response for menstrual hygiene kits for reproduction age in the affected population. ·       Construction of emergency latrine in areas where IDPs settle. ·       Promotion of massive awareness program prioritizing essential hygiene promotion key massage to areas where IDPs settle. ·       Improvement of waste disposal management system at household level in the IDPs settlement areas by constructing solid waste disposal pit. ·       Establishment of hand washing facilities. ·       Mobilization of empty sack/bag for raising up the dyke

Specific WASH Recommendation

·       Engagement of the affected population to boil, allow them to cold, filter and put them in a clean water bucket/ container before use. ·       Raising ground level around hand pump to protect them from flooding. ·       Establishment of waste management system to the affected population. ·       Partners at county level to organize massive hygiene promotion awareness to the affected population in school, churches and at communities where IDPs settle. ·       Provision of fund for the construction of emergency latrine for IDPs.

 

 

 

Security /safety Key Finding

The flood has become one of the imminent threats in the community. Community has low capacity of ensuring the safety of the people. Denial of the access to economic resource b/n spouses and intimate partners is one of the major finding. No civilian documentation available and in the community, but some people still have their refugee card. Most of the women and girls don’t have the access to hygiene.

Safety/Security Priority Need Identified

Provision of canoe for transportation during the flooding Raising awareness to all community to construct dyke before the flood. Raising awareness activities on all types of GVB to reduce the ongoing prevalence of GVB. Providing of shelter NFIs and protections/safety

Safety/security Specific Recommendation

There is a need for protection partners to conduct more training on GVB basic concepts to community members to mitigate the GVB issues that are happening in the entire county. Training local leaders, chiefs, county authority and Payam s authority, church faith organization and elderly people in the community on GVB, protection related concepts, Human right and PSEA guiding principle

VIII Security/Safety

Key findings

 

 

Priorities for Immediate Humanitarian response

·       Giving the IDPS access to WASH NFIs, such as filter clothes, PUR, Aqua tabs, buckets, and Jerry cans.

·        Upkeep of a few of the historic boreholes in the areas that host displaced people.

·       Sanitation kits for girls and women of reproductive age are distributed.

·       Building family shared toilets, household pits, and emergency public latrines at the sites that were assessed.

·       Develop additional programs to promote awareness of hygiene, giving key messaging about essential hygiene top priority across all sites.

General recommendations

 

 

·       The impacted population needs to receive emergency food supplies.

·       Assigning WASH NFIs to all displaced sites' affected populations.

·        Establishing a mobile medical unit and interim healthcare facilities at the relocation site. 

·       The emergency NFI/shelters partners must help IDPs and areas affected by conflict by providing shelter.

·       Increasing GBV and human rights awareness and providing training in affected population emergency sites.

·       Building temporary public restrooms in the relocated areas to address open defecation.

·       The construction of temporary learning spaces and the provision of educational resources.

·        Giving community members access to agricultural tools for farming and fishing equipment so they can fish for their own sustenance.

·       Offering the impacted population flexible financial aid to help them deal with the dire circumstances they are currently in. For the impacted populations, live skills training in psychosocial support services is required.

·       Creating makeshift areas in the places of displacement for women and girls.

·       Providing sufficient food supplies in RUTF, RUSF, and CSB++, among other displacement sites.

 

 

Conclusion of the Assessment

According to the assessment, the aforementioned cluster priorities require an immediate response. The evaluation went well, and the participants actively provided the assessments team with factual information based on evidence. The needs, concerns, and conditions faced by the displaced population are assessed by the county authority in collaboration with the implementing partners on the ground during this fantastic assessment in the displacement sites.

 

Assessment information (participated NGO members)

 

The Assessment team details
S/n	Names	Organization	Tittle	Contact	Email Address
1	Kang Wan Machar	Nile Hope	Area Coordinator	0918640990	Kangwan960@gmail.com
2	Akuku Daniel Maison	Nile Hope	Project Manager	0917101357	Akuku.daniel@yahoo.com
3	Ujum Ter Gatlou	Nile Hope	Project officer	0916886751	tergatlou@gmail.com
4	Riek Wal Babur	ADA	Education officer	0910181983	Riekbubu1@gmail.com
5	Tut Gatkuoth Thany	ADA	Social Mobilizer	0917907994	Tutgatkuoth2020@gmail.com
6	Panom Ruot	ADA	Social Mobilizer	0917639942	panoamruot@gmail.com
7	James Chuol Jock	CHADO	IGA officer	0919063668	jchuoljock@gmail.com
8	Charles Kong	SRDO	Community Mobilizer	0910225944	ckoang@gmail.com
9	Buay Gatkuoth Choat	TADO	EPI supervisor	0917624106	buaychoat@gmail.com
10	Riek Bum	UNKEA	Project officer	0910707899	riekbum@unkea.org
11	Anter Gatluak	CINA	Education officer	0910520814	Anter.cina@gmail.com
12	Stephen Duol Dak	RI	Nutrition Supervisor	0916343089	Stephen.duol@ri.org
13	Nhial Gony Lul	RI	Health officer	0910229686	Lulnhial@ri.org
14	Gatriey Lual Yiech	ALIGHT	Shelter technician	0911274011	gatyy@weralight.org
15-	Dor Thiran Nguot	ADRA	Livelihood officer	0917918985	dor@adrasouthsudan.org
16	Toang Tiach	CIF-AFRICA	HFO officer	0917216851	Toangn4@gmail.com
17	Chuo Ruach Ruey	WHO	Field supervisor	0917740013	chuolruachruey@gmail.com
18	Ga[ Maluit Chuol	ACHO	Field coordinator	0914475967	Gaiacho64@gmail.com
19	Khot Hoth Joak	GI-HAD	Program coordinator	0927 434 455	khothoth693@gmail.com

 

 

Gallery Photo

Fig 4: RRC Director and IRNA team are mapping the affected locations in Nasir town

 

Fig 5: FGDs groups’ discussion with IDPs in Pandanyang village

 

Fig 4: IDPs Occupied in Nasir Complex secondary school and IRNA team are having FGD

 

Fig 5: A participant taking MUAC measurement of a pregnant mother in Kuetrengke village

 

Fig 6: FGD sessions ongoing during rapid emergency assessment in Pandanyang

 

Fig 7: A participant assessing a child’s nutritional status in Pandanyang village

 

 

Fig 8: A participant Assessing Nutritional status during IRNA in Nasir complex secondary school

 

Fig 9:  flood affected most of villages in Nasir County Upper Nile State

 

Fig 10: Borehole submerged with water in Wathwaar village

 

Fig 11: IRNA team are Conducting FGD in Nasir Complex secondary

Fig 12: FGD in progress in Koat Primary school