Protection, empowerment and improved access to GBV services for vulnerable populations in Adok and Thonyor in Leer County, Unity State Since May 2015, Leer County, Unity State is characterized by the escalation of armed violence and the targeting of civilians which has been accompanied by lack of respect for basic human rights and humanitarian infrastructure, and has been widely condemned by the international community as violations of international humanitarian law. Sexual violence, including rape, continued to be a characteristic of the conflict, and women and girls are at risk of other forms of GBV including physical assaults and domestic violence.  

In December 2015, International Medical Corps sent an emergency health team to Leer county to do initial assessment and provide emergency health services, in one of the hardest hit areas in southern Unity by the recent waves of armed violence in South Sudan. Although mass displacement has been recorded to Bentiu POC, Nyal, and other near-by locations, latest OCHA figures estimate the population in Leer County to be around 30,000 individuals, yet SRA reports county population to be 60,000 households but this figure is not consistent with latest distribution registration estimates. 

Due to the identified gaps in GBV prevention and response services for women and girls in Leer County, International Medical Corps proposes to start up GBV prevention and response program in Adok, and Thonyor in  Leer County. International Medical Corps will set up office and a women's centers in Thonyor and Adok for provision of psycho-social and case management services through locally recruited and trained staff in Thonyor and Adok. Clinical Management of Rape services will be provided at the IMC health facility in Adok and IMC will closely work with MSF to ensure that CMR services  and trained health staff are available in Thonyor. Establishment of women’s friendly space will be one of the key program activities to ensure safe access to psycho-social and case management services, to identify the safety and protection concerns of women and girls and to have safe space for all women and girls to attend group psycho-social activities to provide emotional support and build the social support network among women and girls. A private and confidential space will be available for case management and individual counseling. All activities will be designed to meet the specialized and age-appropriate needs of adult women, adolescent girls, men and boys. The proposed program would strive to increase access to GBV case management services, provide psycho-social support (PSS), and referral to comprehensive medical care for survivors of GBV provided by International Medical Corps and other health implementing partners.

IMC UK is an independent affiliate of International Medical Corps (IMC), with which it shares the same name and charitable objectives and mission.  IMC UK and IMC work together to deliver assistance programs in an accountable and effective manner in pursuit of their commonly-held charitable objectives.  IMC will be performing services under any agreement that results from this proposal under the supervision of IMC UK