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IFRC seeks more funds to scale up assistance for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda

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Uganda
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IFRC
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This revised Emergency Appeal seeks 2,670,638 Swiss francs (increased from 690,325 Swiss francs) to enable the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) in assisting 136,666 people (an increase from 30,000 people) for 12 months. The expanded operation will focus on the following sectors: water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health and National Society capacity building. It also reflects a substantial increase in the target population and number of activities to be implemented. The revised budget includes bilateral support for Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and international staff deployments valued at 1,313,032 Swiss francs. The current funding gap is 726,421 Swiss francs. The planned response reflects the current situation and information available now of the evolving operation, and will be adjusted based on further developments and more detailed assessments. Details are available in the Emergency Appeal Revision(EPoA).

The operational strategy

Background

The conflict in South Sudan, which began in December 2013, has affected every single household in the country. More than 1.5 million people have fled South Sudan in search of safety in neighbouring countries, including Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. The renewed conflict in July 2016, led to a new influx of refugees. Fighting and insecurity across the Equatorias continue to uproot tens of thousands of civilians. In Central Equatoria, there are continued reports of violations against civilians. Inter-communal fighting has also caused displacement and destruction. In addition, gender-based violence remains a concern, with partners reporting cases of rape among women fleeing fighting in Yuai. According to UNHCR, South Sudan is now Africa’s largest refugee crisis and the world’s third after Syria and Afghanistan.

When the appeal was launched in August 2016, 8,982 refugees were registered at Bidibidi Settlement. By March 2017, this has increased to a total of 272,206 refugees. The OPM figures show that a total 816,041 South Sudanese have sought refuge in Uganda as of 27 March 2017. The influx shows little sign of abating. Many of the people are living in sprawling refugee settlements. Currently people are being accommodated in four settlements including Bidibidi (272,206 refugees), Palorinya (141,298 refugees), Rhino (86,770 refugees) and Imvepi (10,691 refugees). The remaining 305,076 refugees are located in various parts of the country.

Given this, the Emergency Appeal is being revised to enable the IFRC to support URCS in its response to reach 136,666 people with an increased budget of 2,670,638 Swiss francs.