UN: surmount crises so a nation can be born

Q: What is your latest assessment of the humanitarian situation, which has worsened throughout the region since the referendum in January?  

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by recent violence in Sudan. Photo by: Charlton DokiGrande: The situation grew much worse after the Abyei crisis. Twenty-five major humanitarian operations are currently under way in Southern Sudan. What we have seen is an unfortunate increase of insecurity. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. More than 100,000 we can account for have fled for their lives to the south. Most have entered Twic County in Warrap State. The government leadership, UN agencies on the frontline, and non-governmental organisations have all had to rush to provide life-saving assistance.

Q: To what extent are humanitarian organisations able to alleviate the situation on the ground?

Grande: Within the first day, the UN and NGOs had teams assessing the conditions. In the first two days, the registration of displaced persons got underway. By day three, the first food was delivered, and lots of food was distributed within the first week, as well as essential non-food items such as household utensils. Health screenings by mobile teams revealed that some children from Abyei were suffering from measles, so vaccinations were done in those very early days. At this point, more than 80,000 people have been registered and about 70,000 of them have already received food; more than 60,000 of them are being sheltered. So the operation has accelerated and assistance is now getting to the people who need it the most.

I would like to compliment the government of Southern Sudan for its decisive leadership and quick action in the early hours of  the crisis. Officials from Juba, authorities of Warrap state and Twic County moved quickly to deploy people to scale the assistance necessary for those who were displaced. That helped to lay a platform for UN agencies and the NGOs to come in.

Q: Do you see the Abyei crisis coming to an end?

Many homes were looted or burned down in Abyei. Photo by: UN Photo/Stuart PriceGrande: Yes, absolutely. We have every confidence that the security situation will improve. We are worried about the tension on the border, but I believe it will be reduced. In terms of prospects for the future, we are very optimistic.   

Still, hundreds of thousands of people lost everything when forces in the north moved into Abyei. Homes were looted or burned down, and those who fled arrived in places like Twic with virtually nothing.

Q: What challenges are these displaced people facing now?

Grande: This is a really important question because the crisis in Abyei occurred right at the moment when the rainy season had just begun to intensify. Within a few weeks, large sections of Twic will likely be inaccessible by road. So it will be very difficult to provide assistance to people who are in remote areas.   

The second factor is that the crisis in Abyei took place at the height of a hunger gap. That’s the period after food stocks have dwindled but new crops have not yet been harvested. It’s particularly difficult for destitute households. Many local families in Twic say they’ve already reduced their consumption of food to one meal a day. While this is common in the hunger gap, those who have fled Abyei have come to communities that are already struggling.

Q: Apart from Abyei, roads from Khartoum are blocked and goods are not reaching the south. Do you have an update on the status of the roads?

The blockade of goods has also led to a shortage of fuel in many parts of the south. Photo by: Akim MugisaGrande: Just to underline how important that factor has been, some of the border communities have seen an increase in the prices of basic foodstuffs as much as 200 percent. At the height of the hunger gap and the rainy season, this kind of blockade is putting hundreds of thousands of households at increased risk. A few days after the Abyei crisis, the north indicated it would lift the blockade and we all welcome that. But what we understand from traders who are trying to bring supplies to Unity State is that now there’s a blockade a bit further north. So there are still problems to transport goods. This has a disproportional impact on border communities.

Q: Do you see an end to this?

Grande: A blockade can hurt terribly. If you can’t get supplies into communities, the price of whatever is available will increase dramatically. We know that for poor families who were already struggling, some things necessary for survival will be unaffordable. The World Food Program, which provides food assistance in the south, is already looking at the implication of the blockade for those destitute families in states bordering the north.  

Q: What is the status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who started returning from Khartoum late last year?

Grande: Since the end of November, more than 300,000 Southern Sudanese living in the north have returned to the south. Around 80 percent have decided to settle in rural regions and the rest will stay in urban areas. When the movement first started, so many people returned at once that it was hard to make sure they were getting the kind of assistance they needed. In the run-up to the referendum, 2,000 were arriving every day. Now that the rate of return has slowed, it’s been easier for state governments to provide assistance. Between 500,000 and one million southerners are still in the north, but we expect more people will want to return   after independence to take part of the establishment of a new nation.

Q: Rebel activities that started after last year’s elections have intensified since January’s referendum on the south’s independence. Why do you think some SPLA generals are breaking away to form their own armies, and what impact do you see as a result?

In Mayom County, Unity State, new mines have been planted, causing havoc for aid agencies. Photo by: Bonifacio Taban KuichGrande: I think there must be a combination of reasons. Much of the humanitarian work we are doing right now, especially the emergency operations, is in fact linked to the insecurity caused by the rise of these rebel groups. In areas where there is insecurity, the civilians are certainly bearing the brunt of the suffering. In Mayom County of Unity State, mines have been planted on roads that lead to places where people are struggling and need help. We have been unable to get assistance there, so this is very disappointing and hugely frustrating, because the mine teams have made a huge effort in the transition period to clear the roads through Southern Sudan.  
      
Q: The UN says the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has been successfully implemented. But critics who blame the government for not using resources adequately claim that much has been squandered, while many people live on a dollar a day. How do you respond?

Grande:  The figures for Southern Sudan clearly indicate that conditions are among the poorest in the world. We can call them scary statistics when you consider that more than 90 percent of the population lives on income below the international standard. About 80 percent has never visited a health facility in their entire lives. Unfortunately, South Sudan also has one of the highest illiteracy and mortality rates in the world. We must remember that this is the legacy of years of marginalisation and colonisation. One of the most disturbing facts is that a fifteen year-old girl, someone who could be my own daughter, has a higher chance of dying in childbirth than finishing school.

Of course, the southern government is aware of all this and determined to do something about it. In its development plan for the first three years of its statehood, one idea is to introduce a child benefit for every single family in the south. Each household will receive a small cash contribution from the oil money coming back to the government. Every family with a child would qualify for this payment.

Q: What is your personal stake in the independence of South Sudan?

I feel blessed with the privilege of working for an international institution like the United Nations, which is committed to ensuring that ordinary people live a life of dignity and justice. I think the high point of my entire professional life is being in Southern Sudan as it becomes an independent nation. This is something that none of us who are foreigners will ever forget, so we owe our gratitude to the people of the south for allowing us to be with you on this great occasion as you celebrate your freedom and announce it to the world.