Emergency WASH response to support increased influx of returnees and refugees in Renk, Upper Nile State ltpgtltbrgtIn Sudan, clashes erupted in mid-April 2023 amid an apparent power struggle between the two main factions of the military regime. So far, they have mainly occurred in the capital city of Khartoum and in the Darfur region, causing large displacements within the country but also across neighboring countries (Chad, South Sudan and to a lesser extent in Central African Republic and, Egypt and Ethiopia). In South Sudan, the influx of people fleeing Sudan has increased exponentially at the 12 key border points identified by the authorities. There, humanitarian actors had set up transit facilities to help receive the influxes of South Sudanese returnees, refugees, asylum seekers and third country nationals. As of the 6th of January 2024, IOM/UNHCR had recorded a total of 481,116 people crossing the border from Sudan into South Sudan since 15th of April 2023. Among these, approximately 409,000 came through Upper Nile. Joda has been the main entry point for people entering in South Sudan, and Renk the usual first destination, on their way to their final chosen place of return. On average 1,526 daily arrivals are recorded at Joda Point of Entry in 2023, and it is projected that the number of people will increase to 3,5000 after December 2023 (IOM –Sudan Crisis Response OTA). Consequently, the number of people that stay at Renk Transit Centers (TC) and direct surrounding area is constantly growing. As of 2nd of January 2024, 33,200 people were registered in Renk (IOM). In order to cope with its high congestion, an extension of the TC opened on the 1st of January 2024 (new TC), that can host around 2,000 – 3,000 people. Unfortunately, some people still remain outside of the TCs due to the overcrowding. ltbrgtThe displaced community fleeing Sudan and arriving on daily basis in Renk is highly concentrated in this first crossing border transit center emphasizing the pressure on the people already living in the site and the limited shared available resources. Food insecurity and the risk of disease outbreak due to the population's living condition require humanitarian actor intervention to provide a life-saving response. The escalating number of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) cases observed in the displaced population during the final weeks of December, along with the prevalence of other health vulnerabilities, underscores the imperative for a swift and comprehensive response in delivering essential services amidst the ongoing disease outbreak.ltbrgtSolidarités International (SI) under this project plans to address the sanitation needs of the population staying in Renk as well as part of their water needs. SI has been providing humanitarian assistance in this county since 2012 with support of various donors including SSHF, ECHO, the French Embassy, UNICEF, the European Union. Hence, this project is designed based on lessons learnt from SI’s previous lifesaving responses in the county. In order to answer their basic needs, SI plans to focus its response on providing a safer environment, cleaned from solid waste, increased capacity of safe drinking water and emergency/semi-permanent latrines facilities, through a gender sensitive approach. Thus, SI aims to support 2,978 households -17,867 individuals as per last 1st of January headcount at TCs level (11,339 returnees and 6,528 refugees) including an estimated 893 persons with specific needs. ltbrgtThroughout the implementation of its activities, accountability to affected population will be a key priority and households with vulnerable members (people suffering from malnutrition, pregnant and lactating women (PLW), persons with disability (PwD) etc.) will be prioritized. The design of the proposed project gives a special focus on SI’s exit strategy. Through strong collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders, the inclusion of the community at every step of the project and the reinforcement of local knowledge, SI aims to have a long-lasting impact, even after the end of the project.ltbrgtlt/pgt