Assistance to Returnees & Local Communities in Ikotos and Kapoeta Counties

Appeal Target: US$ 1,781,269

For South Sudan the Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA means that a history of war, with societies’ influx, has been replaced with a transition – again with societies influx.ACT member the Lutheran World Federation Sudan Country program is facing many challenges to address both humanitarian assistance and sustainable development which are the two main premises of LWF/DWS work.

In 2004/2005, the LWF Uganda/Sudan implemented an emergency response and development project in Torit County in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria Region. Now, Torit County has been divided into three counties namely Ikotos, Torit, and Lafon. In the year 2007 under ACT appeal AFSD 71 emergency response to the Sudanese refugee and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returnees continued in Ikotos county.  This emergency response project provided food, agricultural tools and seeds, and Non-Food Items (NFIs) to the Sudanese refugee returnees, the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and the resident communities. Also, the project supported capacity building of local government authorities and construction of boreholes and schools. The arrival of both UNHCR assisted and spontaneous returnees continues to increase and UNHCR and Southern Sudan Government projections indicate a higher number of returnees in 2008.

This Appeal will be implemented in Ikotos and Kapoeta counties and is designed to fulfil the immediate needs of the Sudanese refugee and (IDPs) returnees and assist the resident communities to cope with the increasing number of people. The funding for this appeal will provide the returnees food for recovery, Non-Food Items (NFIs), agriculture tools and seeds for a period of three months.  Simultaneously the Appeal will support the resident communities to construct schools, drill bore holes, improve sanitation, increase awareness on HIV and AIDS and also capacitate the local government authorities.  The need for support is justified by the fact that the returnees are returning to a devastated, heavily mined homeland that is still struggling with residual conflict from the civil war. Despite efforts by various agencies to address issues of access to education, clean water, healthcare, and strengthening livelihoods, the communities of return still suffer. The scarce resources already in place will be further strained with the return of IDPs and refugees, thereby increasing potential for conflict.

In  November 2007, LWF Sudan re-established itself in Sudan. From its Country office in Torit, EES, it has been coordinating all the programmes in Sudan. 

Name of ACT member: Lutheran World Federation

Project Completion Date: 30 April 2009

Reporting schedule:

Interim narrative & financial: 31 October 2008

Final narrative & financial: 30 June 2009

Audit: 31 July 2009

Signed by:

John Nduna
Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office