Casualties Overview

In 2010, the Monitor identified 82 mine/explosive remnants of war (ERW) casualties in South Sudan.[1] Children made up the majority of all casualties (43) and 57% of civilian casualties, with boys being the single largest casualty group (36). There were a total of 17 female casualties: seven girls, six women, and four of unknown age. Casualties were identified in all three regions of South Sudan and in seven of its 10 states.[2] The greatest number of casualties occurred in the state of North Bahr el Ghazal (30) followed by Upper Nile state (20): both of these states border Sudan.

Casualties included six deminers, two of whom were killed and four injured, in four separate accidents during demining operations. Two deminers were British nationals, one of whom was killed and the other injured; information on the nationality of one injured deminer was not available.[3]

No casualties from cluster munition remnants were identified in South Sudan in 2010. However, given that devices are not adequately differentiated in casualty data, it is possible casualties from cluster munition remnants were among those recorded as caused by ERW (44) and unknown explosive items (27), which together made up 87% of all casualties in 2010.

The 82 casualties identified in 2010 are more than double the 38 casualties recorded for 2009.[4] The increase can be attributed to a number of factors, including the increased movement of people, as South Sudanese returned to South Sudan to vote in the January 2011 referendum on South Sudan’s accession from Sudan, and increased violence in relation to the future accession.[5]

In the first six months of 2011, there continued to be numerous casualties reported, at least partly related to suspected new mine use in the Greater Upper Nile region. In Unity state, within the Greater Upper Nile region, there were six mine/ERW incidents recorded in the first two weeks of May alone, forcing international aid groups in the area to cease operations.[6] The UN Mine Action Office (UNMAO) indicated that there were in fact fewer mine/ERW incidents in the first six months of the year as compared to the first six months of 2010, but more casualties from each incident. Two incidents involved five children in each and a single incident in West Bahr el Ghazal resulted in more than 20 casualties.[7]

There were 4,283 casualties (1,226 killed; 3,057 injured) recorded by UNMAO in South Sudan for the period from 1964 to December 2010. Of the total, 3,076 or 72% were male and 583 were female; the gender was not specified for 624 casualties[8]. There are thought to be many more casualties that have not been recorded; however, due to the lack of a comprehensive casualty survey this was not possible to confirm.[9]

UNMAO reported 64 casualties from cluster munitions in South Sudan, all of which occurred in 2009 or before.[10] No further details were available.

Victim Assistance

As of December 2010, 3,057 mine/ERW survivors were identified in South Sudan, of those for whom the gender was known 2,282 were male and 402 were female.[11] It is estimated that there are a total of 50,000 victims including survivors, their families, and the families of people killed by mines/ERW.[12]

Assessing victim assistance needs

In 2010, survivor data in South Sudan was described as “ad hoc” and not reflective of “the comprehensive situation on the ground.” The country lacked a national casualty database and an injury surveillance system, though there were plans to develop a database by the end of 2011. Survivor needs assessments carried out in Juba and in Upper Nile state in October and November 2010 were designed to help address the lack of information on the human impact of mines and ERW.[13] The needs assessment in Juba collected and confirmed data on 238 survivors and was carried out by the South Sudan Demining Authority (SSDA). The South Sudan Disabled Persons Association (SSDPA) in Upper Nile state collected raw data on 1,188 survivors; as of February 2011, the collected data was still being confirmed.[14]

Victim assistance coordination[15]

In 2010, the Victim Assistance Working Group continued to hold monthly meetings, chaired by the MGCSW, co-chaired by the SSDA and facilitated by UNMAO. Participants included government ministries, disabled persons’ organizations, NGO service providers, and other stakeholders. The meetings provided a forum to share information about victim assistance activities and to track the implementation of the National Victim Assistance Strategic Framework 2007–2011.[16]

In 2011, MGCSW began a process to develop a national disability policy for South Sudan, in anticipation of its accession in July 2011. Consultations were held with Ministries, representatives of the Ministry of Social Development from each of South Sudan’s 10 states and with disabled persons’ organizations to provide input to a draft policy. These meetings were also used to lay the groundwork for the quick signing and ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in anticipation of the newly independent country.[17]

Throughout 2010, the Victim Assistance Working Group continued to implement the National Victim Assistance Strategic Framework 2007–2011. It was expected that the Working Group, with support from UNMAO, would begin to develop a new national victim assistance plan specific to South Sudan during 2011.[18]

Prior to July 2011, South Sudan was not yet an independent country and thus updates on progress and challenges in implementing victim assistance in the region of South Sudan were included in the statements made by Sudan at the Tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Geneva in December 2010 and at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in Geneva in June 2011.[19] In addition, an informal statement prepared by South Sudan was distributed at the Mine Ban Treaty intersessional meetings in Geneva in June 2011.[20] Updates from South Sudan were included in Form J of Sudan’s Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 report for calendar year 2010.[21]

Survivor Inclusion

Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations were included in the Victim Assistance Working Group and in the process to develop a national disability policy. In 2010, there were no associations of mine/ERW survivors in South Sudan and it was reported that funding was needed to develop such associations and strengthen the capacity of existing disabled persons organizations.[22] Disabled persons organizations were involved in implementing survivors’ needs assessments and income-generating activities.[23]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities in 2010[24]

In 2010, numerous victim assistance activities continued to be implemented but were insufficient to meet the needs of the population.[25] The increasingly difficult security situation, along with insufficient transportation and poor road conditions, made access to all services difficult for the majority of survivors, who were based outside of Juba.[26]

The capacity to provide emergency medical care and the emergency response system were considered inadequate in 2010.[27] During the year, the ICRC worked to improve emergency care through trainings in first-aid and war surgery skills, distributed needed materials, and added a mobile surgical team to its staff.[28]

As in previous years, transportation to either of the two physical rehabilitation centers proved the greatest obstacle to accessing services for survivors. Survivors in very remote areas were generally unaware that rehabilitation services existed or how to access them.[29] Access was further hindered by increasing levels of violence.[30] In 2010, efforts made to increase access included the development of a referral system by the ICRC, ad hoc transportation assistance provided by the World Food Program, and a resolution that each of South Sudan’s 10 states provide the necessary transportation to survivors in their states.[31] Decreased production at the Rumbek Rehabilitation Center, due to a lack of funding, and insufficient mobility devices limited the availability of rehabilitation services.[32]

Psychological support and social inclusion initiatives, including peer-to-peer support were very limited in 2010 and completely absent outside of Juba.[33] Six economic inclusion projects targeting survivors, mainly focused on vocational training and income-generating activities, were underway in 2010, coordinated through UNMAO and implemented by local NGOs.[34] However, this was insufficient compared to the needs of mine/ERW survivors.[35]

South Sudan lacked laws and policies to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, including mine/ERW survivors.[36] Signing of the CRPD was a priority for the MGCSW and other members of the Victim Assistance Working Group following the independence of South Sudan.[37]