juba and yida refugee camp visit report - ru'ya association

Ru’ya Association Report of visit to Juba and Yida refugee camp, Jan 3-23, 2012

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Ru’ya Association

(Vision)

Juba and Yida refugee camp visit report

By Ru’ya team

February 2012


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1. Introduction:

Ru’ya Association is a non-governmental, non-political, not for profit women’s

organization. Established in 2001, motivated by the desire of a group of Nuba women to

raise the socio economic status and increase their contribution and participation in the

regional development and governance, the Association has remained faithful to its

original vision; i.e. to protect human rights through accountability, to facilitate the access

to justice and to participate in the good governance and to advocate for women rights and

the engagement of women and young people in democracy and community building

processes. Previously, women have been at the periphery of education, development and

peace building processes. Ru’ya Association endeavors therefore, to raise the status of

women in society and harness their talents in order to become agents of change in their

communities and be central to development processes.

The objective of Ru’ya Association is to utilize its particular areas of expertise in order to

support reconstruction efforts following conflict in South Kordofan State/Nuba

Mountains. We wish to revive the organization, which was diminished somewhat during

the upheaval, and act to save and improve the lives of refugees (who are of various ethnic

backgrounds) who are currently residing in IDP camps around the Nuba Mountains and

also in neighboring countries.

In the course of its eleven years of operations, Ru’ya gained excellent experience

of forging links and working with INGOs, UN agencies, networks and local grassroots

organizations.

After seven months of the conflict in Southern Kordofan state escalated in 6th

June 2011, thousands of fleeing refugees have flooded into Unity State in the Republic

of South Sudan, especially to Yida which is bordering Southern Kordofan to the north.

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In October 2011 Ru’ya’s staff held a meeting in Kampala. The meeting reached

decisions on different area as follows:

1. Ru’ya should allocate small office in Kampala and restart its activities from

Kampala.

2. Ru’ya should meet with past and previous partners to express the commitment of

Ru’ya towards its vision and Ru’ya interest to continue in partnerships.

3. Ru’ya should send a mission to assess the situation of women refugees in South

Sudan and Yida refugees camp.

Between January 3 and 23rd

2012 a team of three staff members of Ru’ya

Association Kampala office, Zeinab Blandia, Rogia Durman Kafi, and Eman Ahmad

Omar, visited Juba and Yida Refugees Camp.

The team used the following approaches to collect the data from refugees and the

hosting community.

Meeting with Authorities, UN agencies, INGOs and Nuba refugees in Juba

and Yida refugees camp

Group discussions

Observations


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Individual Interviews

Documentation of testimonies/stories and human rights violation

This report is a facts-finding and assessment of Ru’ya implemented in January 2012.

2. Meeting with Partners and Authorities

The team held series of meeting with NGOs in Juba mainly NGO consortium

headed by Dr. Ahmad Saeed and coordinated by Igor Hudson, South Kordofan State

Refugees and Rehabilitation Commission (SKSRRC), Samaritan’s Purse, Pact Sudan,

Save the Children, AECOM International, Non-violent and peace force.

The team met with refugees in Juba and Yida Camp where information and data

are collected and presented as findings in this report.

2.1 Survivors’ testimonies and the humanitarian situation from Nuba Region

The refugees are survivors of systematic aerial bombardment and other attacks by

the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). the survivors’ testimonies and the humanitarian situation

in Juba as has been described in the words of the refugee Ismail Konyo from Klulu

village South of Kadugli town who reached Juba after few months of the conflict is

terrible, we interviewed him in Juba where he revealed that the heavy artillery, helicopter

gunship, and the antinov bombed Klulu village in 10th

June 2011 some of the civilians

displaced to Shat Sofia and Ates villages and in the second day the two villages attacked

and the people fled to Angolo, Adar, Tabynang and Frandalla, He Said “Me and Ali

Konara the chief of Klulu village decided to move with 717 civilians out of total

population of Kululu village 3100 to Yida area as first group to reach after six days

walking on 21 July 2011”. During six days there was nothing to eat only the leave and

berries of trees. Most of the fleeing were children, women and elder people, they reached

Jau where they were welcomed by the community of Jau, who provided food and water,

they spent a night in Jau and continued for another six hours to Yida area in the second

day.

Ismail Kongo a survivor from Kululo village

Additional interviews included three ladies in Juba Acot Angang 20 years old a

mother to one child of one and half year from Hagar Alnar, residential area in the west of

Kadugli town, she said “I fled after two days from Kadugli town with my husband and


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others to UNMIS IDP camp under heavy gunshots used in the fight and caused enormous

damage and destruction to the properties and the displacement of thousands of civilians.

Acot continued “I saw thousands of innocent civilians, including children running in

different directions and we have been searched at any check point where many people

had been arrested between Kadugli and Al Obeid.

The majority of the refugees who have fled Southern Kordofan are comers from

localities around Kadugli namely: Kadugli, Al Boram and Umdorein, areas directly

affected by military attacks. Kadugli, Al Ehemir and Kululu were the most affected in the

first week of the conflict eruption in the region and continued to many other villages in

different localities.

Most of Nuba tribes that have fled their villages to Yida camp were from

Alburam, Kadugli and Talodi localities, who were directly affected by the SAF Aerial

bombardment and military attack. Other groups came from Umdorein, Abu Hasheim and

few came from Almoro, Achron, Dalami, Hiban and Lomon villages, no refugees

reported from western jabels and eastern part due to inaccessibility and safety of roads,

and the areas are far from the camp in addition to lack of means of transportation and

security. The SAF aerial bombardments targeted human beings, animal resources such as

cattles in the Nuba villages and any food stock in the villages. Sulafa a young girls of 17

years, a survivor from Katcha village reported “Antinov plane dropped bombs on the

village four times during the day, many people escaped from the village, while myself

and others were running to Altes village. She mentioned “we saw five dead bodies three

men and two women”. Another survivor girl from Hagar Anaba said “On 12 June 2011

the SAF attacked the village and all houses were burned, one of military hit me on head

which caused the damage of my right site after few days and in the same day of the attack

SAF bombed the village, I saw Yousif Kuwa Abdalla 13 years old loosing part of his

face. Another story from Saraf Aljamus told by a female 18 years student “The SAF

aerial bombardments targeted our village, about 41 women and children gathered in the

church and asked Abd Alrhman Kaja a church father of Saraf Al Jamus to take them by a

tractor out of the village because Sudan Armed Forces are not only targeting and

pursuing the SPLA in this war, they are also clearly targeting civilians. Ester Abd

Rhmand 21 years from the same village completed “I saw my aunt daughter 23 years

bombed and all her body cut into pieces”.

A report from Adam Kacho Awag who arrived Yida on 18 January 2012 said

“When the enemy entered Ates village for the third time on 2nd

January people were in

the caves of the mountains, houses are set on fire and village that are seized by the SAF

are looted, any stock of sorghum, groundnut and other crops are burned, on 14 January, a

big number of youth from age 14-15 and above were killed, women and children were

bitten and threaten to show where their husbands or SPLA. In the same time a

proximately 400 women and children abducted they and taken away from the village but

no body knows where they are since then. Three girls were taken to the military camp –

Nadia Teia Kafi 14 year, Lyla Kuwa 19 years and Asha Kafi Teia 18 years are raped,

each one had raped by 5-6 member of SAF. The military started bombing the caves

with gas and called people to rush out. Because of the gas which cause cough many


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children affected, I decided to run out with my family” Adam continued “When we reach

the bottom of the mountain we saw five dead bodies of civilians, specifically three

children, a mother and grand mother, and other seven injured. When we reached to the

point between Ates and Al Boram we saw other three elder men, one woman and three

children were killed. I continued my journey with my mother and children which took

eight days to reach Yida camp. Many animals are taken with military trucks together with

other properties”. Adam continued describing the situation, there are many people from

Ates village in the forest with their cattles, they facing very bad conditions, without

water, food and security because the SAF and Popular Defense Forces (Para-military

Militias) are controlling every thing and there is no safe and secure paths.

From June 2011 up to 20th

January 2012, 30 villages moved out of South

Kordofan/Nuba Mountains region to Republic of South Sudan as refugees. The

following are the names of these villages which reached Yida refugees camp in Unity

State.

Shat Dmam, Shat Umzarik, Shat Sufia, Tuku, Shat Faro, Atoma, Blainga, Daloka,

Kafina, Katcha, Masakin, Alboram, Al Ehemeir, Um Shoran, Al kutang, Kululu, Trawy,

Tafre, Abu Hasheim, Um Dorein, Dmba, Kuhliat, Sabori, Mirri, Krongo, Hagar Anba,

Talodi, Ates, Lagori, Fama and Angolo.

All groups and individuals interviewed in the camp asserted that Sudan Army

Forces (SAF) have targeted and continue to target Nuba villages around Kadugli town

and in different localities where Nuba make up the majority of the population, especially

in those areas where the SPLM has presence.

3. Yida Refugees camp

3.1 Establishment and composition of the camp

Aerial View of Yida Refugees camp in Unity State, South Sudan


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Yida refugee camp established in July 21/2011 with the first group of 717 persons

who arrived from Kululu village south of Kadugli town walking for eleven days. The

refugees camp is situated near Yida administrative unit of the hosting community.

When the number of the refugees increased WFP, UNHCR and CARE entered

into the camp and assessed the situation and the basic needs of the refugees who reached

Unity State followed by UNICEF, then Food drop started on 7th

August 2011 by WFP

and other humanitarian assistance coordinated by Samaritan’s Purse Organization.

The refugee community opened airstrip which facilitated aerial food delivery and

many organization reached Yida camp to assess the situation on the ground.

Locally, the Pariang locality and Yida payam administration and the hosting

community have offered assistance and support to the refugees in the following ways:

1. A piece of land with total size 6.000 Feddans to be cleaned and prepared by the

refugees for the coming rainy season.

2. Nuba refugees are allowed to cut trees for building poles but not for selling

purposes.

3. Payam offices are used as stores to store the refugees’ food.

3.1.2 Camp Management

The camp is managing by a coordinator and assisted by deputy who over see the

activities of other 8 committees formed in August 2011 to look after the camp. The

following are the committees currently managing the camp.

1. Arrangement and management committee.

2. Health committee.

3. Education committee.

4. Social welfare Committee.

5. Agriculture Committee.

6. Police.

7. Civilian judge.

8. Native administration and traditional leaders.

4. Major Actors currently present in Yida Refugees camp, activities and

programmes, Entry Time:


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UN agency / INGOs / Actors Activity / Programme Entry Time

Samaritan Purse Provide education facilities,

water, Non Food Items, health

care and logistics.

July 2011

UNHCR Register new arrivals to the

camp, in addition to other

coordination activities.

July 2011

UNICEF Provide educational materials

and Non Food Items.

August 2011

CARE International Provide Primary health care.

MSF Holland Provide Health services.

Non-violence & Peace Force Civilian protection, Training on

gender violence, Protection of

Unaccompanied children.

October 2011

WFP Distribute food. July 2011

Youth for Freedom and

Development organization

Implement Recreational

programme, conduct statistical

survey for development.

December 2011

Unity State Authorities/ Police Provide Security and Protection. July 2011

Yida community Provided 6000 Feddans of land

for cultivation during rains,

provide goods in the local

market, participate in the income

generation for the refugees…etc.

July 2011

5. Yida camp current situation

5.1. Camp population:

The last figure reported by the camp coordinator on 20 January 2012 concerning

the Yida refugees population is 28,500. With approximately 300-400 daily new arrivals.

There is another refugee camp in Pariang according to Hussein Al Gonbla the Yida camp

coordinator situated north of Yida. People walk for five hours to reach Pariang. And there

are not less than 360,000 people displaced in the chain of mountains inside caves, they

are facing hunger and severe health situation due to the lack of humanitarian assistant.

Significant components of the refugees camps are Darforians who were displaced

in South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains, and by he eruption of the conflict, they are

witnessing another internal displacement and turned to refugees in South Sudan.

The population in the camp is undergoing rapid changes due to the influx of new

comers, new birth and death, and people shifting from the camp to other destination or

for neighboring boarding schools.

5.2. The Human rights and Protection of the refugees in the camp


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The refugees camp is located near the host community, giving a feeling of

security and helping the refugees to feel accepted by the authorities of Unity State.

Children receive such assistance, helped by UNICEF through volunteers among the

refugees. Shelter is provided by Samaritan’s Purse; many families have constructed their

huts, only the new arrivals have no tents and are still sleeping in the open.

The lack of many basic needs are demanded in the camp. Yida has not been

accessible by road because of the rain and bad roads after rainy season. Refugees are

cooperating with police to keep the camp ordered and protect their companions.

Shelter is provided by Samaritan’s Purse; many families have constructed their

huts with wood and grass. Only the newly arrived are still sleeping in the open places

and the possibility to construct their huts is very difficult to get grass and wood and the

price of these materials is not affordable for the refugees.

There are minor problems related to clashes due to the hunger and thefts. There

are also family issues and complications for the women and children due to the absence

of husbands or mothers and shortage of food and supportive resources.

No incidents relating to insecurity or human rights abuses reported in Yida camp. There

was only one case of violence but it resolved. Very few police members who keep order

in the camp and provide security to the refugees (60 Police Staff/ 28.500 Refugees). It

can be said that so far the safety of the refugees has been guaranteed by refugees

themselves and there is cooperation between the refugees native administrations and the

police in the camp to provide security and stability of the camp. In other hands, Unity

State Government officials with the UNHCR are pressing for the relocation of the

refugees due to fears that Yida camp can be targeted by Sudan armed forces (SAF)

jeopardizing the safety of the refugees as the camp is located only 47 kilometers from the

border. Many individuals interviewed about their opinion on relocation of the refugee

camp, all of those interviewed stated that this proposal is against their will. Yida is more

secure place than any place in Unity State and has potential resources for refugees on top

agricultural fertile land and the environment is similar to Nuba Mountains, while the new

proposed area for refugee camp is an area covered with water swamps and there is no

enough trees for fuel, no land to cultivate crops and vegetables and is dangerous in term

of health situation and accessibility of road in the rainy season.

The area has many halls where scorpions are hiding which impose a risk for the refugees,

during our visit we saw different types and sizes of dangerous scorpions, people moving

at nights especially children without shoos, some people have been bitten by scorpions.


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Women and young girls are facing many problems such as the Exploitation, Domestic

Violence, Sexual harassments and Trauma. However, the refugees manage their own

affairs with no interference from the hosting community and the local authorities

The Refugees camp has witnessed aerial bombardment on the 10th

November

2011.

Furthermore, the refugees camp market place has witnessed fire accident twice.

5.3. Social Services and providers

3.3.1 Water

There are two water yard operating in Yida. One was use by the local community

and now has to be shared with Nuba refugees. Samaritan’s Purse dug additional three

water points to increase the water stores but there points are not fixed yet and with no

water tank for its storage and distribution. The two water yards operate three times a day.

According to refugees many clashes over water points occurred at the beginning and now

it is reduced and the situation is getting better.

5.3.2 Education

There are three local schools for the refugee children namely Yosif kuwa, Kush

and Komolo primary Schools, however these schools are without rooms, seats and

sufficient number of teachers. The UNICEF provided some of the children with

educational needs (books, pencils, water containers) and has managed to employ

volunteers as social workers. Refugee children attend the local school which is not

enough to accommodate the such a large number of school ages in addition to the local

children. The social workers are not teachers by profession; however, they can fill the


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teachers gap. There are 3.097 unaccompanied children in the camp 818 are female and

2.189 male, many of whom have lost parents in the fighting or whose parents have fled to

different locations within Southern Kordofan. If the war continues raging in Southern

Kordofan, and these children miss the opportunity to continue their educational process,

this might increase their vulnerability and exposure to be exploited or recruited into the

Armed Forces in the future.

Table (1) show details of school level, number of students and teachers

School level No. of student No. of teacher/gender

Primary school 5.374 142(6 female and 136

male)

Higher secondary

school and

University

563(516 male and

47 female)

No schools and

teachers

Unaccompanied

children

3.097 No school and teachers

Kindergarten 3.000 N.A.

Adult education 1.500 6 Male

Each school consist of 8 classes (grade 1-8) but there is more classes for grade one like in

Komolo primary school there are four classes for grade one each class has more than 100

students under the trees, three classes for grade three we observed students aged 17 years

old in this grade. 2 classes for grade two and one class for grade four, the student

attending their class under trees.

The total number of the students in Komolo primary school is 1.050 (450 female and 600

male). Only four classes constructed with local material for grade 4-8, 17 untrained

teachers are working and conducting their duties under trees shed.

For school seating, trunks of trees are utilized as benches, each is composed of three parts

two legs made from branches of a tree to sustain a traversal long one over the two legs,

each 6-8 students sit on one, some students are sitting on the ground (see photos bellow)


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Student sitting on the ground and some on locally constructed wooden structures as

shown in the photos

There are neither offices for teachers nor furnitures, teachers sit on trunks of trees and use

them as tables. (See the photo below).

Curriculum/syllabus

Curricula and Syllabus is one of the major problems in the camp and major

educational challenge, there is no certain curriculum/syllabus to be used in Yida camp.

The education committee is using three curricula - New Sudan usually used for grade 1-

4, Ugandan and Kenyan curricula used for grade 5-8, no teacher guidance and text books.

Only very few books which some student fled with from Nuba Mountains to Yida .

Feeding

According to students, since July 2011 all the students are depending only one type

of diet (sorghum), the food ration is very small, three kg. of sorghum to last for seven


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days, without salt, and oil. and it is difficult to survive on it; as consequence, there are 10-

15 students weekly admitted in the clinic due to poor diet and under-nutritional problems.

Accommodation

The accommodation is very poor for the students there is four school boarding

houses prepared from local materials by the students, one for girls aged 8-26 year old

consist of 818 girls, no adequate beds, students prepare their beds from sticks and put

grass on the top and/or plastic sheet over in case some one have plastic sheet or sack.

Student sleeping on locally made bed (Drangal) mainly from wood. As shown in the

photo.

Adult Education:

There was a plan to establish four centers for adult education only two

hav started – Mohamed Juma Nile and Tillo adult education centers. Both Juma Nile and

Tillo center have four classes and all the classes are under trees. The total number of

adults who have interest in education is 1.500 but the centers accommodated only 510 as

Detailed below.

Adult education statistics as on 19th

January 2012

Name of the center No. of

classes

No. of

teachers

No. of pupils / gender Total

Tillo 4 3 male 070 M 135 F 205

Mohamed Juma

Nile

4 3 male 105 M 207 F 307

220 342 510

95% of the pupils in adult classes are women and young girls.

990 pupils don’t have access to education due to lack of centers, sitting facilities, books,

pencils, teachers and references.


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All pupils are in need of learning materials, Text book, Teaching Aids, Learning Aids,

Files / forms for collecting data special for special need groups

The Educational Problems in general

According to the students, teachers and education office reports in

addition to the team observation the following problems were identified

School and classes conditions

Generally we can say that there are no proper schools, only you see the

crowded children in the forest under some trees are without leaves therefore lacking

shadow. The blackboards and teachers standing in front of this crowded students with

strong will to continue their educational process is the only observable indication in Yida

Refugees Camp (YRC).

Classes are under trees with limited seating posts and shallow shadow.

The classes start at 7 am and end at 12 am where student can not stay more than this time

because of sun heat and the water points are far from the classes. Evening classes are not

possible due to different constraints such are light and availability of the assisting and

supportive tools and resources.

Number of students

The number of school age and above is very high in the camp, the last

statistics conducted in January 20/2012 is 5.374 for all students to be accommodated,

Thus, there is a need for 6-7 primary schools. For the secondary schools students has

been transferred to Pariang to continue in boarding schools. Still there are some

students with advanced age of secondary schools who are not able to continue their

education due to linguistics obstacle, and those students are learning English

language with the pupils of the primary schools. Worth to note that the secondary

schools students transferred to Pariang are only males (300 male students out of 563,

while the 47 female students are able to go due to lack of adequate accommodation

ad other arrangement.


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Teachers

Only 142 teachers assigned for the three schools, most of them are high

secondary school students volunteering to boost and push the educational process

and fill the gaps. The gap become wider due to the transfer of these students to

Pariang higher secondary school.

No any support for teachers to cover their survival needs. They are

working voluntarily without qualification or skills, only filling the gap in the

education and encouraging children to join the available schools.

Educational materials

There is a real shortage of educational materials and tools (Text books,

Note books, chalk, etc..)

The team visited the girls accommodation place which hosts 120 girls, most of their

complains were on non adequate school feeding, type of food, ratio. Two group

discussions were held with girls in boarding house. Most of them reported that “daily

they receive 10 Malwa (40 Kilograms) of sorghum for 120 girls, and that they boil 20

Kg. of sorghum without salt or oil for breakfast and 20 kg. in the evening as the main

meals since July 2011 and there is daily increase in the number of student while the

delivered quantities remained constant forcing them to share and reduce the individual

share in food.

One pot feed with boiled sorghum to nourish 10 girls

Not to undermine the lack of washing soap, shoos, cloths, beds, Mosquito net, blanket

and other special needs for girls specially at period time causing social stigma. Each

student prepare her locally made bed known as Drangal


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Locally made beds from wood (Drangal)

Girls sleeping on the ground ill girl sleeping on the ground

No utensils according to the girls report one jerry can for 10 students and one cooking

pot for the same number, no beds and mattresses No blanket for most of the male and

female students, only 1.120 blanket distributed and there is bad need of more than 2.500

for the old students excluded the new arrivals.

Another visit to boys boarding school

Students on cooking duty Students locally made beds (Drangal)


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The challenges they facing:

Small huts made with local materials (wood and grass). Also the schools

boys are facing challenges similar to their companion girls. In addition to entertainment

activities such as football.

There is real need of trauma counseling for both girls students as well as

for the young boys.

Vulnerable groups

There are 547 person with special need, consist of orphans, handicaps,

blinds, deaf children and elderly persons, persons with diabetic in the camp.

A diabetic child in Yida Refugees Camp

5.3.2 Health and hygiene situation

Generally the health conditions are too bad due to

- Lack of health services, general health workers and qualified health personnel

compared to the number of patients visiting the only existing clinic everyday.

- No enough and nutritive food, there only one type of meal for adult (sorghum) and

rare distribution of oil

- Unbalanced population distribution in and within the assigned block, which in some

cases cause over density and constitute collective health hazards and risk.

- Presence of poisonous scorpions and snakes and wild bees in the camp and the

surrounding forest.


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- Malnourished children are receiving more care from Samaritan’s Purse Organization,

but still there is high infant mortality rate cause by malnutrition (five cases) their

number is 579 child are still facing undernourishment challenges.

- Aged persons and children are more affected with Malaria and the rate is 85%

according to the statistic of the health center in the camp 55-60 patients per day.

- Respiratory track infection is also seen more frequently about 40– 45 patients per day

(Cough, Pneumonia, asthma, and flue)

- Diarrhea is also existing, about 10-15 patients per day, some cases are dealt with and

manage by CARE International Organization primary health care center.

- Malnourish patients are given wheat, milk (F100, and F75) and plumb nuts by

Samaritan’s Purse Organization.

- Adults and elders are affected severely with Malaria, Asthma, Gastrointestinal track

infections, and Urinary track infection. All patients are handled by CARE

International and in case of severity transferred to MSF Holland clinic for admission

and further treatment and cure. Other cases of Diabetic and Hypertension are also

dealt with but with very limited access and availability of drugs.

- The refugees camps has witnessed 100 cases of delivery and the child care and

maternity health care is very weak. There are some traditional birth attendants and

one certified midwife, and she is international staff working for Samaritan’s Purse

Organization. There is only one male nurse assisting in maternity clink.

- In CARE international health center, there is no doctor, but only clinical officer, one

nurse, one assistant, and one assistant volunteering. The wards are built in grass and

the patients who are admitted are lacking available beds and staying on the ground.

- The newly born children are lacking adequate clothes and nutritive food and the

lactating mothers are facing nutrition gaps.

- The hygiene situation in the camp is poor specially near to water yards and school

boarding houses.

- Lack of public latrines in the camp and schools as well as boarding houses.

Samaritan’s Purse provided latrine slaps for some refugees.

- The water resources are far from the schools.

5.3.3 Grinding mills:

There are two operating grinding mills in Yida serving the refugees as

well as the whole communities in the area. The queuing at the grinding mill is one of the

worst experiences for a refugee because women and young girls can spend the whole day

and night waiting to grind their sorghum. One of the disadvantages is that the owner

charges a lot of money, 3 South Sudan Pounds (about $1.50) to grind one Malwa (4 kilo)

of sorghum which the refugees can not afford. Some refugees use to grind small ratio of

sorghum in Funduk (Part of the tree solid wood trunk, with a central deep excavation and

with a pestle, beetle or pounder used as wooden hummer to beat the sorghum inside its

hall till it turns to soft floor).


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Sorghum and cereals grinding in Yida by the refugees women and girls using the Funduk

6. Economic situation

The refugees are facing problems of extreme poverty due to the war and

the people were not able fully cultivate during the previous rainy season and harvest the

spontaneous non cultivated product. Women are the most suffering group, they are

household heads and most of women are taking care of orphan children.

Potentially, there are opportunities for women to run income generating

activities in Yida to foster for their livelihood, but there are obstacles and that is hindered

by lack of financial resources and capabilities and other constraints.

Markets availability and marketing capacities

There is market place in Yida camp established by the refugees, local

merchants bring many goods from nearby towns eg. Paryang, Bantio. The goods and

agricultural products and vegetables prices are very high. Limited quantities of vegetables

are produced locally. Refugees are using South Sudan Pound as local currency in the

camp.

Table (3) Type of the goods and current prices in the camp

Item Unit Price/ SSP

Sorghum Malwa 15

Grinding Malwa 3

Charcoal Sack 40

Sugar Pound 6

Groundnut Malwa 15

Dry Okra Malwa 15

Cooking oil Pound 9

Lamp Kilo 16

Tea leaf Package 1

Water Jerry can 1


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Bean Dish 5

Meat Dish 6

Sesame Malwa 15

Wilde fruits ( Lalob,

Ardeeb, Nabag,

Tabaldi, and others)

Cluster (Kom) 1

Grass Bundle (Robta) 5

Timper Piece 5

Tea Cup 1

Coffee Cup (Small Jabna special container

hold 2 small cups)

3

Washing soap Piece 1

Salt Coffee cup 1

Honey Bottle (300 ml) 20

Cloths Piece 35

Type of income generation activities in the camp

Since July 2011 the refugees developed coping mechanism to generate

income based on the potential resources in Yida camp. In particular women and young

girls sell grass, charcoal, wild fruits, tea/coffee, food, ropes and wooden poles. Few

refugees cultivated groundnut during the last rainy season. A group of women consist of

60 members started to prepare a land to produce vegetables, however, the group do not

have seeds and tools and other agricultural inputs.

The opportunities and challenges

Supporting and saving the live of thousands refugees in South Sudan by providing them

with security constitute challenges and opportunities for future planning. The current and

previous lessons learn from this war is developing coping mechanism and enhancing the

resilience of the peoples of the South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains. This war is generating

unity and solidarity among the different ethnic groups residing in Yida Refugees Camp.

The social construct is changing and people in the camp start to establish social ties with

the territory and communalities hosting them. However, in the last months and on the

previous weeks, there have been discussions and consultations between the UNHCR,

INGOs, the Unity State Government and the refugee committees about the relocation of

the refugees from Yida payam in Northern Panrieng to Ngeil, Yida is thought too close to

the border for long-term security rather than Ngiel payam in Southern Panrieng.

However, the refugees are not happy with the relocation proposal because the new

location is far from their homes, furthermore, Yida environment is similar to Nuba

Mountains, the refugees prefer to stay in Yida rather than to be relocated to place like

Ngiel. In addition they feel that Ngiel has environmental disadvantages and health

hazards due to the presence of the swamps. The Refugees are traditional farmer and they

have been awarded a 6.000 Feddans of Agricultural Lands for their subsistence and

livelihood by the Unity State Authorities and Yida Communities. And they have already

started cleaning and preparing that lands to the imminent rainy season. Already they have


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prepared large portion of this land, a reason a solid motivation for their resistance to be

relocated to other site.

There is a good opportunity for women to join adult education in the camp based

on their request and real interest, but because of the lack of the dedicated center for

women development in the camp, education materials, aid and teachers are the major

challenges.

Women are well organized into 30 big groups in the camp. This could be

opportunity to introduce Women Solidarity Fund Group (WSFG) approach which can

help build the capacity of women to lead peace and trust building as well as community

healing programme in the camp and after the conflict is over in South Kordofan/Nuba

Mountains.

This 30 women groups are organized according the blocks division and their

structural organizations is composed of a president, a vice president, treasure and a

secretary, plus a responsible for culture and heritage, social responsible and other

supportive organs. These women groups are proposing a variety of small scale household

production projects and need technical and financial support. Examples of the suggested

production projects are include Horticultural (vegetables) production projects, Animal

husbandry and Small Poultry Units projects, Collective grinding mills, Scholastic

Uniform Production, Agricultural Products Drying and Conservation. Restoration and

hospitality facilities, and general businesses and shops…..etc.

Also, there is opportunity for war affected youth (both sex) to be enrolled in

vocational skill development by making use of the available natural recourses in Unity

State and the neighboring areas. However, to implement that, a specially designed project

and programme for vocational skill development is needed so as to contribute in the

reduction of crimes and violence in the camp.

5. Conclusion and recommendations

The Assessment team makes the following remarks and specific recommendations.

The situation of the refugees in Juba and Yida is scary in the light of the assistance

provided. The humanitarian needs are very big compared to the high number of refugee

population 28,500 with approximately 300-400 daily arrivals to Yida camp in Unity State

of South Sudan. Very few NGOs and UN agencies are providing assistance which is not

enough. Many of the INGOs and the UN present in Unity State have decided with the

government that they will only assist the refugees if they are relocated, but relocation is

seen against the will of the refugees.

Yida refugee camp is not seen in the international media to reflect the real

situation of the refugees on the ground and their human rights and humanitarian


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condition. Ru’ya association mission and commitment is to contribute in this aspect in

particular.

The road to Yida is very difficult because of rain, however; Samaritan’s Purse has

managed to organize plane charters and food drops to Yida where there is a small air

strip. At the moment refugees feel that they are safe as long as they are within the borders

of South Sudan because they managed to construct their shelters benefiting from the

natural forestry resources in the area (Trees and grass).

The SAF aerial bombardments target human beings, animal resources such as

cattles in the Nuba villages and burning of any food stock in the villages still going on,

this will lead to human crisis before the beginning of the rainy season unless this stopped,

it recommended that the United Nations Security Council should put pressure on the

Government of Sudan to stop aerial bombardment and attack of civilian in South

Kordofan State/Nuba Mountains. And other UN System and specialized agencies to

intensify its activities to prevent a possible starvation

Denial of access to humanitarian aid, ruthless killings, detentions and torture of

civilians, looting of civilian properties, and the use of starvation and enslavement have

been waged as weapons of war, UNHCR should take its responsibility to provide

Humanitarian services to IDPs inside the caves of Nuba Mountains and advocate for

International community to support those Refugees In South Sudan .

1. Peaceful negotiation of any relocation plan, which must be carried out only with

the agreement of the refugees. Threats to withdraw services must not be used to

force the Nuba refugees to relocate to Ngiel payam against their will.

2. Immediate installation of an emergency school, centers in the camp supported by

education materials/aid and teacher training to provide education to the children,

unaccompanied children, girls and women.

3. Complete installation of the three hand pumps dug by Samaritan’s Purse

Organization for more water bladders to ease the conflict over scarse water

resources.

4. Organization of hygiene awareness and provision of washing soap to refugees and

in particular girls aged 12-18 years

5. Provision of more grinding mills for the increasing number of refugees

6. Provision of non food items (NFIs) (e.g. water jerry cans, plastic sheets for

shelters).

7. Provision of more health services for increasing number of refugees

8. Increase of food ratio and improve the type of distributed food

9. Assisting the refugees in cultivating 6000 Feddan given to them by the hosting

community with crop seeds, vegetable seeds, agricultural adequate tools and

training.

10. Improve accommodation place for the student by providing sanitation facilities,

blankets, mosquito nets, mattress and solar electrification system.

11. Provision of facilities to schools, student accommodation.


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12. Consideration of Special programme for disabled groups in the camp (handicaps,

blind, deaf, diabetic, etc..).

13. Supply as much as possible of cloths, shoos, school uniform for the student.

14. Training of youth on furniture production so as to supply the teachers offices and

other needs in the camp.

15. Mobilization of NGO to implement programs on trauma counciling, community

healing, gender based violence, awareness raising on HIV/AID and income

generation activities.

Ngeil Pariang (Yida)

Prepared by Ru’ya Association:

Team Leader: Zeinab Balandia

Team: Rogia Darman Kafi, Eiman Ahmed Omer. Waleed Azrag, Gada Juma,

Nasreen Ibrahim.


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Acknowledgements to: Samaritan Purse, SKRRC, SIHA, H.C.U. in Juba, Igor

Hodson, Dr. Ahmed A. Saeed and Mohamed Yassin and the Yida Refugees Camp

coordination and administration committees, Government of South Sudan and South

Kordofan/Nuba Mountains Liberated Areas.

juba and yida refugee camp visit report - ru'ya association

Documents

ruya team

ruya association endeavors

objective of ruya association

ruya association vision

commitment of ruya

assessment of ruya

yida refugee camp visit

nuba refugees