NRC’s Horn of Africa, South Sudan, Uganda and Yemen programme has launched its regional annual report for 2014. The report gives a review of humanitarian interventions in all the 8 countries, views from the people assisted and highlighting issues of concern such as innovation and new partnerships. More than one million people received direct humanitarian assistance from NRC in the Horn of Africa, South Sudan and Yemen.
In her statement, NRC’s Regional Director Gabriella Waaijman, looks at the overall situation in the region, especially in the countries that loss of lives and massive displacement, such as South Sudan and Yemen:
“The people I spoke to all expressed a desperate and heart-breaking hope for peace. But with no peace in sight, NRC had little option but to continue to provide life-saving assistance in the areas of displacement, including through mobile teams that delivered assistance in some of the most volatile areas of South Sudan.”
“Despite the combined efforts of the humanitarian community, the response remains woefully inadequate compared to the needs, especially the need for peace”, said Waaijman.
NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland meeting former South Sudan Country Director Kennedy Mabonga outside an NRC warehouse in Minkamman in South Sudan in 2014. Photo: NRC/Christian Jepsen
2014 Achievements
- Summary of achievements in the Horn of Africa, South Sudan and Yemen highlighted in the report:
- In South Sudan, NRC used mobile teams to provide assistance to IDPs outside of the protection bases. South Sudan became part of the Horn of Africa regional programme, with field offices in Central Equatorial, Lake, Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Jonglei States, supporting people displaced by the conflict.
- In Gambella, Ethiopia, where South Sudanese nationals numbering 194,411 sought refuge, NRC assisted 66,792 refugees in Kule, Tierkidi, Lietchuor, Nip Nip and Okugo by building transitional centres, emergency shelters and latrines.
- In Kakuma, Kenya, NRC assisted 226,304 people drawn from the refugees and host communities, and 45,000 new arrivals from South Sudan.
- New field offices opened in Mandera in Kenya’s North-Eastern frontier and Jigjiga in Ethiopia’s Somali Region. In Somalia, NRC opened an office in Kismayo, bringing the total number of field locations in Somalia to 12. NRC assisted 254,926 people with emergency assistance and durable solutions delivered through projects based on NRC’s core competencies.
- Uganda joined the Horn of Africa Regional Programme bringing the total number of countries to eight. Towards the end of the year, an area office was opened in Adjumani, West Nile Region to provide assistance to refugees crossing the border from South Sudan.
- In Yemen, an armed insurgency by the Al Houthi movement took control across most parts of the country including the country’s capital, Sana’a leading to additional displacements and aggravated food and nutrition crisis. NRC was able to continue with operations and deliver assistance in the North, Central and South of the country throughout the crisis.
- In Djibouti, NRC began construction of hybrid shelters made from corrugated galvanised iron sheets and a cemented base, for refugees in Ali Addeh and Holl-holl, replacing traditional buuls and makeshift houses
- In Eritrea NRC completed a project supporting access to primary education. The project is planned to be expanded in 2015.
