Many of the people at risk of famine in South Sudan are from conflict-displaced communities that fled from attacks leaving behind their farms, jobs, livestock, fishing grounds or other livelihoods.

More than a million people are encamped at more than 130 different sites around the country in varying conditions; some without adequate clean water, healthcare or food.  

A map published yesterday by the UN coordination agency (OCHA) shows the locations of these camps. OCHA says assistance has reached about 77% of the displaced population in 93 locations, but not the other 23% of the population at 40 other unreached locations.

Coloration on the map indicates either accessible areas (blue) or areas accessible with constraints (brown). It should be noted that ‘accessible’ in some cases refers only to accessibility by air, for instance in the case of Fangak, since road transport is impossible during the rainy season and river transport is generally still too insecure.

The light green circles indicate areas targeted for ‘rapid response’ assistance. The blue camp indicators are displacement sites that have received assistance and the brown ones are sites that have not received assistance.

A number of points can be observed: Much of the population of Unity State who were living in government-controlled (largely inaccessible) is now displaced into opposition-controlled territory (accessible) in the south of the state or into the UNMISS base in Bentiu.

In Jonglei, much of the population displaced by rebel attacks on Bor South, Twic East and Duk earlier this year is still living in Lakes State, while populations displaced by government attacks on rebel-held areas were pushed deeper into Ayod, Akobo and Uror counties, away from the front line.

The map does not show refugee camps in neighboring countries, or camps of Sudanese refugees in the northern counties of Pariang and Maban. 

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