Emergency WASH Provision Among Most Vulnerable Displaced and Host Populations of Pibor County, former Jonglei State Recent SMART Survey Report of Nutrition in  2018 conducted in Pibor County indicated GAM prevalence of 20.7% and SAM prevalence 4.9% based on WHZ and the presence of bilateral oedema. This are coupled with projected IPC Phase 5 outcomes and a projected early start of the lean season in 2019 could potentially worsen the nutrition situation among vulnerable populations, more so children and under 5 (Oct 2018-May 2019 Food Security Outlook July 2018 Boma State Inter agencies Rapid Assessment IPC Sept, 2018). Most vulnerable and displaced populations needs are further worsened by protection concerns including gender based violence and sexual abuse, predominantly among girls and women (HNO, 2019).

Recent Interagency assessments in Pibor indicate deficient key water supply infrastructure due to both the lack of maintenance and damage sustained during the active months of conflict, compounded by annual cycles of mass flooding . Open defecation is widespread and risks exposure to water borne diseases are high coupled with poor sanitation coverage including schools and lack of hand washing facilities, poor knowledge and practices on personal and environmental further fuel the situation (Inter Agencies Rapid Assessment Report, November 2017 REACH Jonglei State Overview 2018).

The project will target 6000 girls, 6000 boys, 2000 men and 4000 women drawn from recently arrived internally displaced persons, host community members, returnees, children in schools, makeshift IDP settlements. These will include elderly persons, pregnant and lactating women, people with disabilities drawn from the most vulnerable households. 

SPOCI will be responding and upscaling of efforts to respond to acute WASH needs, targeting most vulnerable and those at risk of various protection concerns such as sexual and gender based violence and at risk of water-borne/ feco-oral diseases. The project, in line with the HRP overall objectives for 2019, and WASH Cluster first Standard Allocation Strategy will address high levels of malnutrition and IPC through WASH and Nutrition integrated programming for famine prevention by targeting SAM/MAM children and their families in addition to addressing associated diseases of the malnutrition/stunting at both OTP/SC/health facility level and household level reduce GBV risks including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) via regular consultations and engagements with at risk groups such as women, girls and children targeting IDPs/Host Communities including returnees who will be provided with timely and equitable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.

The project will mainstream Accountability of Affected Populations, Gender Equity, Protection concerns including GBV and sound environmentally friendly approaches. Targeting criteria will involve joint strategies through inter-cluster linkages including consultations with beneficiaries through Focused Group Discussions, partners implementing Nutrition, Education, GBV/ Protection.

SPOCI has been operational in Pibor since 2015 and currently implementing a 6 months SSHF Funded WASH project in Pibor, complemented by a UNICEF funded integrated Education in Emergencies program in Pibor that will sustain current programming momentum and scale up activities. SPOCI is a member of State level Cholera Preparedness Task Force, National NGOs Steering Committee, member of the ICWG and WASH Cluster Accountability to Affected Populations Technical Working Group. In addition, SPOCI has for the past two years supported over 36,000 vulnerable populations with WASH/ Education interventions through UNICEF among other partners support in Pibor. Through these, the organization has fostered strong linkages with communities, state/county line ministries of water and irrigation. This is in addition to strong and competent team including staff redeployment to scale up interventions based on needs.