Provision of life-saving water, sanitation and hygiene response to the most vulnerable population affected by shocks in 2 priority locations in Unity state Despite the partial formation of the renewed government of national unity on February 2020, major challenges remain ahead in South Sudan. The political instability engulfing South Sudan has burdened the country with an array of challenges since 2013 and the instability is likely to increase in 2023. These have led to the near collapse of the national economy and to an unmitigated humanitarian crisis with 76% of the population in need of humanitarian support. Food insecurity is one of the most alarming needs, with multiple counties in IPC 4, and 55,000 people in IPC 5. Communal violence is likely to persist along with the climate change induced natural disasters, causing important displacement of population. South Sudan has suffered from three continuous years of extreme flooding since 2019 leading to displacement, major destruction of livelihoods and contamination of water sources. More than 835,000 people were reportedly affected by the flooding. Flooding also complicated the delivery of aid, as roads became impassable and communities were cut off by floodwaters (REACH, January 2022). According to WFP’s Seasonal monitor, the flood extent by the end of May 2022 remains the largest ever observed for this time of the year. Areas newly flooded during 2021 in Unity, remained flooded through the dry season, which could lead to large scale floods. 

The WASH situation is catastrophic, and the population is living way below the international standard (even with emergency contextualized standard): according to the HNO 2022, only 39% of the population reported having enough water to meet their household needs countrywide, 49% of households reported relying on surface or unimproved water as their main water source and 80% of households did not access a latrine. Protection is a key concern, with 18% of households reporting they felt unsafe while collecting water. Finally, in May 2022, a cholera outbreak has been officially declared in South Sudan and there is a high risk of dissemination during the rainy season.

This project proposes to implement a WASH Rapid Response for the counties with the higher needs where static partners do not have the capacity to respond to emerging needs. SI has been providing Rapid Response in South Sudan since 2012 and this project has been designed based on SI experience and following Wash Cluster Maxi Mini package for RRT deployment. The proposed action will focus on Panyijar and Mayendit in Unity state, while remaining flexible to address more urgent needs in South Sudan upon alert from the NAWG/ICCG and with formal validation of SSHF. Each intervention will last between 45 to 90 days, following the Wash Cluster RRT strategy. Initial local recruitment and procurement phases and final monitoring have been forecasted to avoid any delays. With the proposed 9 months project, SI will ensure that 16,400 individuals will have a timely and equitable access to WASH life-saving services, to prevent and mitigate WASH-related diseases. The design of the activities will depend of the initial needs assessment, and will cover the access to water through the rehabilitation of boreholes or the distribution of WASH kits, including MHM material. Adapted messages on hygiene good practices will complement the distribution. In addition, sanitation facilities will be rehabilitated in crowded settlements and emergency sanitation cleaning campaigns will be implemented to mitigate contamination due to presence of faeces.

Throughout the implementation of its activities, accountability will be a key priority and households with vulnerable members (SAM/MAM caregivers’ families, GBV survivors etc.) will be prioritized. The proposed project gives a special focus on exit strategy. Through strong collaboration with all relevant stakeholders (and mainly Nutrition and protection partners), 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.