Cross-border movements data workshop in South Sudan

Almost 400,000 people have been killed in South Sudan’s civil war, nearly 2 million are estimated to be internally displaced and 180,000 are still sheltered in six U.N. protected sites. A fragile peace deal signed in September 2018 has instilled some confidence in people feeling comfortable to go back home or seek another form of durable solution. Since January 2019, more than 2,800 people from five IDP sites in Juba have registered to voluntarily return. 

However, violence in the country continues and the ongoing attempted returns are causing concerns. For example, in Uror and Akobo counties, communities are facing severe food insecurity, according to the latest food security analysis. The humanitarian and development community fears that populations enduring already harsh conditions will find it hard to absorb more people, placing further strain on aid agencies to respond to those needs.

IDMC is convening a workshop in Juba focusing on the relationship between internal and cross-border displacement to enhance a common understanding of the phenomena and to agree on the basic concepts and definitions when it comes to the data collection and analysis of these displacement flows. The workshop will gather all relevant UN agencies, NGOs and donors to ensure that partners have a common understanding that responds to the needs of each institution and which can be used to facilitate effective and coordinated approaches to preventing, responding to and reporting on displacement crises.

IDMC convenes this workshop with the generous support of the German Federal Foreign Office.