Provision of Transitional Shelter to the most Vulnerable Households Returning from Sudan to South Sudan

Project location: Sudan, South Sudan
Project start date: July 2012 - Project end date: July 2013
Project number: 2012-013
Beneficiary: UNHCR

 

Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005, which brought to an end Sudan’s second civil war (1983 – 2005), some 2.7 million South Sudanese have returned from areas of displacement to South Sudan. The war led to over two million deaths and an additional four million people, mainly from the then Southern Sudan, displaced. Of these 428,000 had been refugees in neighboring countries (Uganda, Kenya, DR Congo, CAR, Ethiopia, Chad and Egypt) and about 71 percent (304,000) have since returned. Between October 2010 and November 2012, an additional 700,000 internally displaced South Sudanese had returned to their areas of origin.

UNHCR has been working with IOM and other humanitarian agencies to reintegrate the returnees through the provision of reintegration packages which include NFIs, agricultural implements and inputs, as well as some money for the returnees from neighboring countries.

Over the past seven years since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005, humanitarian and development agencies have worked with the Government of Southern Sudan, and later the Government of the Republic of South Sudan towards post conflict reconstruction and establishing early recovery mechanisms.

Returnees have settled in some of the most underserved areas in South Sudan where they have very limited access to basic services such as access roads, water, education, health and are beset by floods during the rainy season which increases their vulnerability.
 
The provision of shelter has been identified by returnees as one of their most critical needs on arrival. Gaps in shelter assistance have also been highlighted by the authorities both at the state and regional level.

Initiatives such as the housing project funded by the Peretti Foundation help in reducing the threat exposure to returnees. They have also resulted in peaceful coexistence between returnees and host communities as UNHCR supports vulnerable members of the host community as well.


Progress in providing transitional shelter to vulnerable returnees

UNHCR continues to work with a number of humanitarian actors to provide assistance to returnees. Some 151,673 South Sudanese have returned from Sudan in 2012 and nearly 690,000 since the government launched the returns programme in October 2010.
The intensity of movements along the Nile requires adequate preparation in terms of pre-positioning stockpiles of NFIs and preparing transitional shelters for vulnerable families. Upon arrival, returnees are received at eleven Way Stations constructed by UNHCR across the country. These Way Stations are in Central Equatoria state: Juba, Kajo Keji and Yei; Eastern Equatoria state: Torit and Nimule; Jonglei state: Bor; Lakes state: Rumbek and Nyang; Western Equatoria state: Yambio; Upper Nile state: Malakal and Melut. IOM also operates a way station in Wau The main function of a way station is to ensure a dignified transit for returnees awaiting onward transportation to their areas of origin or final destination.

The returnees are registered and profiled when they arrive. Profiling helps UNHCR to select those that are vulnerable among them who include the elderly, the disabled, female headed households, the chronically ill as well as unaccompanied minors and separated children.

Accordingly, UNHCR has been constructing transitional shelters for the vulnerable returnees. The transitional shelter project is;

1)      People Centred: The project was implemented in a participatory manner taking into account the needs and aspirations of beneficiaries, who were consulted on the design of shelters, and participated in its implemented.

2)      Multi-sectoral: The transitional shelter initiative was also integrated and holistic in so far as it ensured that other aspects of community building such as livelihoods, education, water, sanitation and hygiene promotion, and health were taken into account. The community in Alel Chok now has established social services including a health centre to the west, a school to the south, a demonstration “farm” and three water points. The “village” is now a de facto one-stop service centre that could gradually evolve into a vibrant community. It also embodies aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction and Early Recovery as well as cross cutting issues such as environment, HIV/AIDS and Gender.

3)      Context Specific: The project was implemented based on local assessments and conclusions. It was also sensitive to local cultures and needs.

With the support of the Nando Peretti Foundation UNHCR constructed 21 shelters in Western Bahr el Ghazel (Alel Chok County) for the elderly.

By the end of October 2013 UNHCR will continue the construction of additional shelters for the vulnerable returnees.


think global, act local
you are here: Home  > Projects:  Charity or Africa  (or Both)  > 2012-013  > Final Report