Providing Emergency Assistance to IDPS and Host Communities in Western Equatorial State, South Sudan
Background
- The Humanitarian Response Departiment was first launched by CDTY through the effort of His Lordship Barani Edwardo Hiiboro, to respond to emergencies caused by LRA atrocity in Western Equatorial State (Diocese) in 2009
- It was a 4 month project
- After the four months were over, it was renewed by both CDTY, Sudan Aid, CAFOD for 9 Months
- As a continue effort by the Bishop to find solution for the problem,assessment was carried and it was found that Western Equatorial was the most affected by LRA
- From 2011 -2014 the Humanitarian under CDTY implemented resilience project to support 30000 IDPs and Host community who were displaced by the LRA
- In 2015 -2017 the humanitarian department continue to implement resilience project funded by Caritas Germany for empowerment of IDPs, Host Community
- Partners whom we work with are cmmb, Comboni Sisters, CSS, NCA
Overall Goal
The overall aim of the Humanitarian Department is to ensure that the target groups are supported and empowered after being displaced as result of conflict and that the people can be able to sustain themselves amidst the challenges of surviving in a new Location or the challenge of coping mechanism in a host community to share meagre or limited resources with many other people.
Objectives
- To provide Relief Assistance to the recently displaced persons and Vulnerable Host Communities within the Diocese of Tombura –Yambio
- To empower IDPs and Host Communities Economically through Cash for work and distribution of Tools and Seeds to be planted on their own Farms which will lead to improved food security in the Diocese of Tombura – Yambio
- To provide safe and clean water to both the IDPs and Host Communities through WASH activities.
Activities Carried by Humanitarian
Relief goods distribution
- Humanitarian Response Department normally distributes food items, non-food items, seeds and tools to the displaced persons and vulnerable Host communities like orphans, widows, single mothers, and the elderly.
- The purpose of relief good distribution is to support IDPs and Substitute their Balance diet to enable them survive as they try to cope up with life in a new location where they reside.
Cash for work
- .Cash for work is another component implemented by humanitarian Response Department. This is normally done through opening of community farms and some community members are selected to work on the farms after which they are paid Cash for the work they do.
- The purpose of this component is to provide support to the vulnerable community members such as:-
- the purpose is to train the local community members on better farming methods, improved food security and improve the economic status of beneficiaries through the money they are paid after working on the community farms to enable them meet their basic needs.
- The blind, widows, widowers, orphans, IDP’s, PLWHIV and returnees of the community through the distribution of farm produces.
WASH
- The IDPs /host communities in some parts of the diocese had limited access to safe and clean drinking water and they only relied on unsafe water from seasonal streams and open wells which consequently caused water borne diseases to them.
- Although there were few boreholes in some places.
- Overwhelming number of the population in the diocese of Tombura-Yambio face serious lack of clean water.
- Due to this critical situation which was faced by the IDPs/ host community, WASH component was introduced to provide safe and clean drinking water source to the people and to improve hygiene within the diocese.
Way Forward
- Include wash activities most especially in places like Rii-rangu and Maringindo
- Buy manual hand drilling machine to be used by beneficiaries to drill their own boreholes.
- Buy chain saw machine to support farmer to cut trees in the community farms
- Venture into emergency education infrastructure
- Distribute seeds &tools to empower returnees to produce their own food
Conclusion
Conclusively, the project activities are on-going well despite the challenges above. Therefore, The Catholic Organization for Development and Peace of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio remains grateful to Caritas Germany for providing funds to facilitate activities to support the Overwhelming number of vulnerable people in the Diocese. In addition, we are also grateful to CDTY in the Personality of our Lord Bishop Barani Edwardo Hiiboro Kussala, the associate priest who support the Bishop and the general administration of Curia for their guidance, directives and positive support towards Humanitarian Response Department. We pray for you to live long to continue saving human lives both spiritually and socially in the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio.
