South Sudan: World Refugee Day on June 20- Supporting the people of South Sudan

AAR Japan currently supports Syrian refugees in Turkey, Afghan refugees in Pakistan and South Sudanese refugees in Kenya. AAR Japan’s Ryo KAKUTANI, who was stationed in South Sudan for four years until 2013, reports on its assistance to South Sudanese refugees.

Thrust into a civil war just two years after independence

“I deeply regret that I have to be here today,” were my first words when I spoke in July 2014 at the opening ceremony of a school that was built by AAR Japan inside Kakuma Refugee Camp.

Since 2006, AAR Japan has carried out projects – setting up wells and water supply facilities and offering hygiene and sanitation education – in Kapoeta in the Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan (southern Sudan at the time), near the border with Kenya. South Sudan successfully gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but a civil war broke out again in December 2013, displacing some two million people, or about one fifth of the population. Approximately 500,000 citizens fled to neighboring Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Kenya as refugees. The school AAR Japan set up inside Kakuma Refugee Camp was designed for children who had escaped from the conflict in South Sudan.

Family who managed to reach the refugee camp being overwhelmed by intense heat and fatigue (Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, February 4th, 2014)

South Sudan Emergency Aid: Water Supply Facilities Completed at Refugee Camp

About 38,000 people have evacuated South Sudan, which has been mired in conflict since the end of last year, to the Kakuma refugee camp in neighboring Kenya (as of June 11th, 2014. UNHCR <United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees>).  AAR Japan has been conducting research and providing support at the Kakuma refugee camp since February this year. Resident Staff of AAR Japan South Sudan Office Daijo TSUCHIKAWA, who is engaged in the activities on the ground, reports:

Installing Water Pipe to Deliver Safe Water to the Camp

Because of continued heavy rain, the water tank truck became stuck on the muddy road before reaching the camp. (March 19th, 2014)

Emergency Assistance in South Sudan: Providing children in refugee camps with necessities

As of April 30th, 34,000 people have fled South Sudan amid ongoing warfare and arrived at Kakuma Refugee Camp in the neighboring nation of Kenya. AAR is now providing support for the children in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Ryo KAKUTANI of AAR South Sudan Office reports.

Desks have finally arrived! The children were anxious to start school and helped us carry the desks to the classroom tents. (Far center: Ryo KAKUTANI, May 4th 2014)

Emergency Support for South Sudan: Safe Drinking Water Urgently Needed

As many as 26,000 people (as of March 14th) have fled from continuous fighting in South Sudan to Kakuma Refugee Camp in neighboring Kenya. This is a report on the relief activities and the refugees’ lives by Daijo TSUCHIKAWA, an AAR staff member of South Sudan Office, who is responsible for humanitarian aid in the Camp.

Daijo TSUCHIKAWA (to the left), an AAR staff, interviewing the refugees.  (March 12th, 2014)

South Sudan Emergency Aid: The Urgent Need for Water at Kakuma Refugee Camp

Since December 2013, the war in South Sudan has raged on and the turmoil continues. Many continue to flee into the into neighboring Kenya, where the Kakuma refugee camp is located. From February 3rd to the 8th, Naoki UMEDA and Daijo TSUCHIKAWA were AAR Japan's staff on the ground, sent to give emergency assistance and conduct research. Despite the swelling number of refugees, the camp suffers from severe water shortages. This is UMEDA reporting.

People Going Without Water in Severe Heat

AAR Japan's Naoki UMEDA (right) listening to details from a local aid group (Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya. February 4th, 2014.)

From February 2nd, ongoing talks with both refugees and aid workers have made it clear that the need for water is the most urgent issue at hand.
Since December 15th last year, the number of South Sudanese who have arrived in Kakuma has already reached 14,000 <UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), 2014/2/5> . Many have endured a long journey, only to arrive and find they will likely receive below 10 liters of water on average per day, per person. In contrast, a single Japanese person uses around 300 liters per day (according to figures from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), making the daily available amount in Kakuma only 1/30 to that of Japan. It is this small amount that must be used for everything from drinking water, to cooking and washing.

South Sudan: “I want to go to school by any means.” Education, the Hope at Refugee Camp

Because of continuous disorder caused by civil war in South Sudan since December 2013, more and more people have fled to Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, a neighboring country of South Sudan. In order to provide emergency assistance, Naoki UMEDA and Daiki TSUCHIKAWA, AAR staff members in South Sudan, visited the site on February 3rd to conduct a field survey. Despite increasing numbers of refugees, water supply is acutely inadequate at the camp. There also arises another problem of insufficient education for the children. Daiki TSUCHIKAWA reports on the latest situation.

Refugees are on the increase, but schools are insufficient

About 100,000 refugees from neighboring countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Burundi, as well as South Sudan live in Kakuma Refugee Camp which was founded in 1992. Since many of the refugees are unable to return to their home countries, schools have been set up for these children. There are 6 nursery schools, 17 elementary schools, and 5 junior high schools in the camp. However, due to an influx of new refugees from South Sudan, they urgently need more schools.
Considering this situation, LWF (Luther World Federation), an international NGO, set up a new school at Kakuma Refugee Camp. On February 3rd, under the 5 tents provided by UNICEF (The United Nations Children’s Fund), around 1,700 children ranging from kindergarten to 3rd grade of elementary school are studying in this new school. However, there’s no desks or chairs, only some mats on the ground. Although the number of children is expected to grow, the school has almost reached its capacity and children over 4th grade of elementary school are not accepted into the school.

5 tents are used as a school. However the school has almost reached its enrolment limit due to capacity constraints.
(Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, February 4th, 2014)

More schools and educational equipment, such as tents, strong enough to withstand sandstorms, and desks are in need for the growing numbers of children. The tents currently being used for schools are not strong enough and a lot of sand comes into the classroom. Although there are neither blackboards nor desks, the children are still anxious to study under the tough circumstances.

There are 17 teachers in the new school and they are all refugees. Former teachers and other dedicated people voluntarily teach the children. (Daiki TSUCHIKAWA (right) AAR staff: Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, February 4th, 2014)

Children gathering in the new “school”, which is a tent with no equipment. They are taking a lesson without any chairs or desks. (Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, February 4th, 2014)

 

Provide a place to study for youth, who have been robbed of their ordinary lives

Joseph is an 18 year old former soldier and a Nuer. He took part in the recent battle and while he was patrolling in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, he witnessed the soldiers of Dinka, the opponent ethic group, killing Nuer residents without hesitation. This convinced him that it was just a matter of time before he would be killed. Then, he threw away his weapon and escaped immediately. He changed buses and finally managed to reach Kakuma Refugee Camp. He said, “I’m glad that the public safety is maintained and nobody own firearms at the camp. I'm going to go to school.”
At Kakuma Refugee Camp, I encountered a number of young people who are eager to receive education. A boy in his late teens said, “In my hometown, I looked after cattle and goats and had no options for schooling. But I don’t have any livestock here. I want to start studying from the 1st grade of elementary school.”  A boy of 18 said, “I lost my parents and relatives in this battle and I came to the camp all by myself. I cannot tell what will happen to me, but I do want to go to school by any means.” Having education is a hope at the refugee camp not only for small children but also for young people who have been robbed of their ordinary lives.

Children gathering around AAR staff, Naoki Umeda after their class. (Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, February 4th, 2014)

AAR plans to continue its survey and provide refugees with much needed assistance such as water supply and educational support, coordinating with other humanitarian organizations so as not to duplicate the support. Activity reports will be updated on the AAR website. We appreciate your support.

We are collecting emergency donations.

Your support is greatly appreciated.
Click here to donate online.

[Reporter]
Daiki TUCHIKAWA AAR JAPAN South Sudan Office (profile as of the date of the article)
Started working at AAR in October 2012. He has been dispatched to South Sudan since April 2013. After graduating from a university, he worked as a system engineer and senior high school teacher. Afterwards, majored development study at graduate school in Australia. Born in Iwate Prefecture and grew up in India.

South Sudan: Conducting Research at a Refugee Camp

In South Sudan, fighting triggered by political conflict has persisted since December 2013. As a result of the fighting between the ethnic groups of Kiir's Dinka and Nuer, thousands have been killed, 700,000 have been internally displaced, and 130,000 have fled abroad. <UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) 2014/2/3>

With an aim to provide emergency assistance, Naoki UMEDA and Daijo TSUCHIKAWA from AAR’s South Sudan office have been conducting research since February 3 at the Kakuma refugee camp.  Located in the northwest of Kenya, it has been flooded with refugees. This report is written by Naoki UMEDA.

Established in 1992, the Kakuma refugee camp is the largest refugee camp in the world with approximately 100,000 refugees. Buses operated by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) arrive at Kakuma camp daily with refugees who have fled to Nadapal, Kenya, located along the South Sudan border. 

On average, the camp accepts 400 refugees daily. After taking vaccines and completing refugee registration in Nadapal, the refugees are then taken to Kakuma by bus, where they spend the first night at the temporary tent area beside the reception center. 

New arrivals are given some food, a mat and a blanket to spend the first night at this temporary accommodation (Kakuma, Kenya, February 3rd, 2014) 

South Sudan: Toilets and Hygiene Education Classes at Elementary Schools

Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan) has been carrying out water and hygiene projects in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State since 2006. The following is a report on the construction of a new toilet facility and hygiene education classes held between March 2011 and April 2012.

Hygiene Education Classes Held in 6 Elementary Schools

 
Water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid fever and cholera have been the major cause of death among children in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State. According to research done by AAR Japan in 2010, only 6.4% of the population and 2% of children used toilets. Most use roadsides and bushes, which leads to the contamination of water sources and the spread of infectious diseases. In response, AAR Japan initiated hygiene education classes in 6 elementary schools for roughly one year beginning in March 2011.

June 28^th, 2012 – A sanitary hygiene class held for school teachers in Kapoeta North County. “Which picture is most sanitary?”

South Sudan: Easy Access to Water Is Achieved By New Water Supply System

South Sudan has just only become an independent country in July 2011, but AAR JAPAN’s water and sanitation project there started as early as 2006. Since then, 96 wells and 6 water supply systems have been constructed in different locations of Eastern Equatoria, one of the 10 states of the Republic of South Sudan. This report offers information about the water supply system that was completed in October 2011 in Kapoeta Town (Kapoeta South County).

October 17^th, 2011- Each water tank has a capacity of 5,000 liters. Through pipelines, the water is distributed to three distant tap stands.

South Sudan: Building Wells for Mountain Villagers in South Sudan

AAR JAPAN has been building wells throughout South Sudan. Prior to each well’s construction, AAR JAPAN examines the distance between villages and their nearest water sources, as well as surveying the living conditions of the local people. This report focuses on the village of Taree in Lafon County.

Warfare Sends People to the Mountains

Taree village rests on the boundary between

the mountain and the plain

Southeastern Lafon County is marked by a large mountain range. Located at an altitude of 200 meters, the village of Taree rests on the boundary between the mountains and the surrounding plain, inhabited by an ethnic minority group known as the Tenet.

There are no houses to be seen on the broad plain to the east. The people of Taree tell us that they used to live in the plain, but the ravages of the First Sudanese Civil War (1955-1972) led them to relocate to the mountains. With two civil wars now ended, the government has been encouraging people to move back to the plain in order to stimulate regional development, but the villagers are reluctant to move back because cattle rustlers and bandits frequent the lowlands. Security fears have resulted in ubiquitous gun ownership, with many village men reluctant to go to their farmlands without an AK-47 rifle strapped across their backs.

Farming Life in Taree

Most people in Taree live by farming. They grow sorghum, millet and maize, which are resistant to drought, and also groundnuts, soybeans, okra, jute (moroheiya), sesame, squash, and tobacco. Both the plain and the mountain slope are used as farmland, with groundnuts and vegetables grown on the plain, and sorghum grown both on the plain and on the slope. Visitors need to be careful not to step on squash and tobacco leaves, which are grown not only in home gardens, but even along the trails.

Sorghum and groundnuts are the staple foods of the village, and represent a substantial source of local income. With harvest coming only once a year, the villagers travel 80km to Torit, the provincial capital of Eastern Equatoria, to sell their crops, using the income to buy goods such as sugar, salt, clothing, and dishes. Families with poor harvests and little land are unable to grow excess crops for sale. Some make money by selling goats, but others take in no earnings at all. 

Villagers engaged in farming.

Some families keep cows and goats, but on the whole, livestock in the village is limited. The villagers say they gave up domesticating animals because they were all stolen by thieves. Many Taree men, some of whom lost their livestock, now engage in farming. In the village, keeping birds away from ripe sorghum is said to be a man’s job, and when I visited for our surveys, I often saw groups of men rushing to their farmlands while Taree women looked after their homes. Gender roles here are quite different from those in other nearby tribes. Among the Toposa, for example, it is said that men chase cattle while women care for the farm. Women in Taree do participate in farming to some extent, and it is said that sowing and weeding are work to be undertaken by a couple together.

Dispute over Water  

A woman gets water from a spring on the mountain. 

Springs are still important water sources for the

physically infirm.

Securing water is a crucial matter for the people of Taree. There were three wells on the plain near four villages including Taree, but two of them had already dried up, and only one remained working. Before the wells were constructed, villagers used to go and fetch water from rivers and springs. These water sources are still used, but many of them dry up seasonally. In addition, water from rivers and springs is not as hygienic as well water. 

The one remaining well was shared among four villages, and every day many people lined up for several of hours in front of the well. People in the village that was the nearest to the well eventually claimed ownership over it and even tried to exclude neighboring villagers from the site, resulting in a dispute.

Equal Use of Wells

Takeshi IKEDA (right), AAR staff member in Kapoeta,
interviews village women about a dispute over a well.

After conducting our survey, AAR constructed another well that would be accessible to all four villages. Now people from all four villages can use both wells, wait time has been reduced and the dispute has eased.

After the well was constructed, AAR encouraged local volunteers to establish a well management committee. AAR selected committee members (six in total) from every village so that no single village could keep a well to itself. If a well is abused, its structure can be worn away in just a few years, and finally the well breaks down. Proper treatment and regular maintenance are essential for long-term sustainability. There was no such committee for the previous wells, and the management committee decided to control the old wells as well as the new one.

AAR JAPAN will continue to support South Sudan and provide both peaceful access to clean water and training so that the local people can maintain wells for themselves.

Reporter

Takeshi IKEDA, AAR JAPAN Kapoeta office, South Sudan

Born in Saitama, Japan. Has worked in AAR’s Kapoeta office since June 2011. After graduating from university, worked as an NGO staffer in Beijing for three years and in Myanmar (Burma) for two years. Plays music, practices karate, and enjoys trekking.

14 Public Health Workers Created in South Sudan

4-Year Training Concludes

14 trainees celebrate completion of their training in May 2011. Front left is Ryo KAKUTANI, AAR staff.

AAR JAPAN has been working in the city of Lafon in Eastern Equatoria, at the eastern end of South Sudan, where no health care centers or medical services are available. In cooperation with UNHCR (The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), AAR JAPAN built 3 health centers in the area in 2007. While management of the facilities was then meant to be handed over to the local administration , no health workers could be found to staff the centers. In response, AAR JAPAN trained local health workers, instructing them in basic techniques for medical examinations, first aid, and medicine management, as well as aiding in the transport of medical supplies. 

AAR JAPAN’s training followed the guidelines of the (then) southern Sudan government’s 9-month public health workers’ training program. The trainees rely on farming and agriculture to sustain themselves, making it impossible for them to take a continuous 9-month training program, since they are needed to work during the busy seasons. In order to meet their needs, AAR JAPAN divided the training into several sessions over 4 years.

In May 2011, the trainees completed the program and held a graduation ceremony, where two representatives of the local county office handed out certificates to each graduate.

As public health workers, the graduates will not only give medical care, but will also offer medical education to the local people. One aspect of the training included surveying the women in nearby villages, where it was discovered that only a quarter of them knew that malaria was the main cause of death in their region.

Many clinics have been left derelict for lack of health care workers to maintain them. This project, which included not only building a medical clinic, but also providing a training program for workers to staff it, represents a success story for medical improvement in South Sudan, and AAR JAPAN will recommend the newly-independent government of South Sudan make room for such programs in its policies.

Trainee representative Daniel Ohyucholmoi (28)

I was really glad to be able to finish training, and I want to use the skills I gained to provide better medical services for the local people. The 14 trainees all came from different regions, and although I had never seen them before training, they are now my friends. Here there’s often interregional fighting over water and livestock, and I think the simple fact of young people gathering together and having friendly relationships is going to be extremely beneficial for the future. I thank AAR JAPAN for giving us this opportunity.

※AAR JAPAN carried out this project through individual donations and a grant from Japan Platform.

Ryo KAKUTANI, AAR JAPAN South Sudan Office

Worked at the Tajikistan office from November 2007 to March 2010. Has been working in Kapoeta, South Sudan, since April 2010. Studied British English at university. After graduation, worked at an overseas diplomatic facility for two years before joining AAR JAPAN. (Born in Hyogo Prefecture)