Emergency WASH Response to IDPs and Conflict-Affected Populations in Upper Nile Since 2013, Longechuk County has served as an important transit area in the greater Upper Nile region, with households from Gambella Refugee Camp in Ethiopia and other areas of Upper Nile frequently traveling through Mathiang and Udier for temporary refuge and stability. This continual population movement puts increased pressure on already limited WASH infrastructure and heightens the risk of communicable disease outbreak. Despite Longechuk’s importance to the displaced population, humanitarian access remains limited and inconsistent due to seasonal flooding, insecurity, and poor road networks. 

Longechuk is home to over 10,000 IDPs who live in rural, remote locations. Inaccessibility has prevented the development, maintenance, and repair of basic WASH services and infrastructure. As a result of increased population pressure, and inconsistent humanitarian presence in an area hosting a vulnerable population, existing WASH services in these locations is unable to meet the basic, emergency needs of the population.

These unmet WASH needs continue to undermine the sustainability of health and nutrition interventions. RI’s SMART survey conducted in May / June 2015 revealed global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates of above 20 percent (RI, June 2015) with high severe acute malnutrition rates of 7.1 percent. With the approaching end of the rainy season, households are increasingly mobile, moving in search of pasture land for cattle. This poses heightened challenges for already limited nutrition programming as children are likely to interrupt treatment due to this pastoral movement. 

There is increasing need to expand WASH interventions due to high severe malnutrition prevalence and the limited, existing capacity to support vulnerable IDPs and host community members. RI's proposed emergency WASH project responds to coverage gaps on the ground and needs prioritized by the cluster. Specifically, RI will:

- Rehabilitate 8 damaged, abandoned water points
- Establish and train 8 Water Users Committees and hand pump mechanics to ensure proper operation and maintenance
- Construct 200 household / family-shared latrines
- Distribute 1,500 hygiene kits to vulnerable households
- Expand integrated hygiene promotion education into new areas
- Carry out solid waste management awareness campaigns

A significant component of the project is devoted to developing community resources and enhancing local government capacity. In each phase of project implementation, RI will involve community stakeholders (program beneficiaries, community-based workers, local leaders, individuals, and relevant line ministries) to evaluate needs, cultivate ideas for appropriate actions, enhance trust and solidarity, and ensure program buy-in. RI training activities will emphasize the development of local and grassroots leadership structures and management systems.

The proposed CHF program will complement existing programs funded by OFDA which although effective, are not adequate in size to meet the emerging needs of the population. RI’s current WASH programming only supports WASH needs only in five of Longechuk’s ten payams. RI’s program will therefore help expand the program into additional hard to reach payams as well meet the needs of under served people in existing  payams. Since this funding will be complementary, most of the support costs, office and project establishments and start up costs are already covered. Proposed funding mostly will used to fill major gaps in other under served areas.