IOM teams in South Sudan's Upper Nile region are working with UNHCR
and other humanitarian partners to meet the growing needs of
thousands of Sudanese refugees who are fleeing fighting and aerial
bombardments in Sudan's Blue Nile State.

According to UNHCR, more than 92,700 refugees have fled the Blue
Nile State since the fighting erupted in September last year. The
majority of them are now sheltering in Doro and Jammam camps in
Upper Nile State.

Over the past week, more than 2,800 refugees have been
registered in Doro Camp. IOM staff report that many families arrive
exhausted after a long and difficult journey on foot or donkey
carts to cover the 20 kilometres that separate Doro camp from the
border.

IOM is in charge of providing safe drinking water, setting up
latrines and supplying hygiene materials. The Organization is
currently providing 12.9 litres of safe drinking water per person
per day and working to reach 12-20 litres per capita per pay in
line with the humanitarian response standards advocated by the
humanitarian organization, SPHERE.

IOM works closely with humanitarian partners to identify
additional water points and will start drilling boreholes and
constructing water points to meet the growing needs of the
population and reduce congestion at water points. Trucks are also
being used to carry water to areas with scarce or no water
sources.

Since the start of the influx of the refugees, IOM has set up
642 common latrines, 574 household latrines, 450 bathing shelters,
407 garbage pits and has trained over 50 water and latrine
management committees. More than 9,000 refugees have participated
in hygiene awareness promotion sessions and over 550 hygiene kits
have been distributed.

IOM is also providing management training to some of the camp
residents as part of a process to instil a sense of community
ownership of facilities and services.

Among the Organization's work in South Sudan is to manage and
operate a free transport service - the Common Transport Service
(CTS) - so that agencies working in difficult-to-access areas can
receive emergency relief items and equipment.

Since IOM began the CTS to Upper Nile, it has transported over
300 metric tons of cargo, including Non Food Items, camp
construction materials and fuel for humanitarian agencies. In
addition, an IOM-sponsored barge carrying an additional 247 metric
tonnes of cargo for humanitarian organizations is leaving shortly
from Juba for the Upper Nile State.

IOM and other humanitarian agencies continue to preposition
relief items and food stocks ahead of the rainy season when
transport and access will be restricted and more expensive.

In mid-January, IOM assisted UNHCR with the successful
relocation of over 6,000 persons from the border village of El Foj
to Jammam, the second camp in the region and only halted operations
when teams came under aerial bombardment.

The Organization needs an estimated US$ 10 million to cover the
first three months of its emergency operations in support of
UNHCR's activities in Maban County. To date, it has secured a US$ 2
million contribution from the United States' Bureau for Population,
Refugees and Migration.

For more information, please contact:

Samantha Donkin

IOM Juba

Tel: +211 922 406728

E-mail: "mailto:sdonkin@iom.int">sdonkin@iom.int