SUSPECTED MEASLES CASES CONTINUE TO BE REPORTED – As of 16 February, over 100 cases among both refugee and host communities have been reported in White Nile State camp clinics. Measles outbreaks have been reported across most States in Sudan, affecting Sudanese nationals as well as refugees. The State Ministry of Health and WHO are leading on surveillance, laboratory support and case management. A measles vaccination campaign will launch in April.

OVER 3,000 REFUGEES ARRIVED IN SUDAN IN FEBRUARY – New refugee arrivals from South Sudan continue to cross into Sudan. Over 6,200 refugees have arrived in Sudan in 2019 so far, arriving from Aweil area in Northern Bahr Ghazal State and Upper Nile State, citing violence, food insecurity and a lack of livelihoods as their reasons for leaving South Sudan.

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has also not seen any marked improvement and remains dire. Internal and external displacement continues. The Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda host a total of 2.28 million refugees from South Sudan.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency welcomes South Sudan’s ground-breaking accession to the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, also known as the Kampala Convention. The Kampala Convention is the first and only regional legally binding instrument for the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons, which incorporates the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

UNHCR AND COR COMPLETE RAINY SEASON PREPAREDNESS NFI DISTRIBUTION IN KHARTOUM’S “OPEN AREAS” - From 23 June to 7 August, UNHCR and the Government of Sudan’s Commission of Refugees (COR) distributed NFI kits to over 15,000 South Sudanese refugee and host community households households across 9 ‘open area’ settlements in Khartoum State. The distribution also targeted newly displaced South Sudanese refugees who fled to Bantiu ‘Open Area’ in June following attacks in Khartoum, as well as vulnerable host community households. The kits included plastic sheets, mosquito nets and sleeping mats, and was part of rainy season preparedness for existing refugees, and emergency response to address the needs of newly displaced families in the open areas. ‘Open areas’ are informal settlements hosting South Sudanese refugees in Khartoum.

TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT OF SUDAN ALLOWS EXPELLED NGOS TO RETURN: The Transitional Government of Sudan has allowed international NGOs that were expelled by the previous regime in 2009 to re-register in Sudan. At the same time, the Federal Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) issued decisions regarding the deregistration of 58 national non-government organizations perceived to be linked to the previous regime. These developments might affect the capacity of partners to provide humanitarian relief to South Sudanese refugees in Sudan

70% OF REFUGEE CHILDREN IN AL LAIT LOCALITY IN SOUTH DARFUR OUT OF SCHOOL: Lack of enrolment of South Sudanese refugee children in Haskanita and Andrab schools in Al Lait locality, North Darfur State, remains a concern as close to 70% of the refugee children living in the area are out of school. Out of the more than 10,000 children in school age, only around 3,000 are currently enrolled. Some of the reasons behind the low enrolment rate is the engagement of children in farm work, language barriers, and lack of peaceful coexistence.

In Lasu and Makpandu settlements, some 2,150 refugee families received agricultural land from local authorities and host communities.

Thousands of people got together in 12 refugee and IDP sites across South Sudan to commemorate World Refugee Day and support the #WithRefugees campaign.

In Ajuong Thok camp, UNHCR and education partners began a nine-month teacher certification course for 73 primary school and Adult Learning Programme teachers.