Internal displacement

Between 1 January and 20 February 2024, armed bandits carried out attacks on various communities Ampang ward, Kombul ward, Mangu ward and Mangu I ward in Plateau State. The specific communities affected include Bakin Kasuwa, Anguwan Sarki, Kofar Fada, Sabon Gari, Mairana, Mangu, Kinat, Kwahasalalek, Sabgoro, Matele, Dis, Panyam and Gangaran Kwata. The attacks affected 2,003 individuals and displaced them to communities of Nahuta, Banko, Unguwan Magaji, Gwaltukurwa, Lusa, Gajiwal and Kuletu in Dass LGA, Rimi Zayam, Anguwan Sarki, Sabon Gari, Nasarawa, Anguwan Rimi, Kawuli, Kara, Kassa B, Juwait, Kampawul and Rinji in Toro LGA, Boto, Anguwan Geate, Kofar Bai, Pans Sarki and Lere Primary School in Tafawa Balewa LGA and Liman Katagum in Bauchi LGA, all in Bauchi State. As a result of the attacks, 66 fatalities and 62 injuries were reported.

On 02 August, a land dispute erupted between the Mbakume (Mbaivur) and Mbasombo communities in Ikpayongo Town. The clash affected 156 individuals and displaced 155 individuals from Ikpayongo Town to Ichuwa IDP camp. As a result of the clash, one fatality and six injuries were reported.

On 26 July, armed bandits attacked Kango Garacce community in Maru LGA and Damaga community in Maradun LGA; all in Zamfara State. The attacks affected 608 individuals and displaced 416 individuals from Kango Garacce community to Maru Town, and 165 individuals from Damaga community to Maradun North community. As a result of the attacks, 27 fatalities and 77 injuries were reported.
On 29 July, armed bandits attacked Garin Zaki community in Batsari LGA in Katsina State. The attack affected 1,004 individuals and displaced 1,002 individuals to Batsari Town. As a result of the attack, two fatalities and 11 injuries were reported.

On 20 July, armed bandits attacked Gedo, Ruwan-Gima, Tudun Burji and Buzuzu communities in Bukkuyum LGA of Zamfara State. The attacks affected 2,575 individuals and displaced 1,806 individuals from Gedo and Ruwan-Gima communities to Unguwan Sarki community, and 769 individuals from Tudun Burji and Buzuzu communities to Masama Town. All located in Bukkuyum LGA. About 75 individuals were kidnapped.

On 14 July, armed bandits attacked Sakajiki community in Kaura Namoda LGA of Zamfara State. The attack affected 990 individuals and displaced 988 individuals to Laba Kurya community in Kaura Namoda LGA. As a result of the incident, two individuals were killed and 12 individuals were injured.
Armed bandits also attacked Runji community in Illela LGA of Sokoto State on 15 July. The attack affected 1,133 individuals and displaced 1,131 individuals to Tudun Dukeya community. As a result of the attack, two individuals were killed and 11 individuals were injured.

Armed bandits attacked the community of Kasai in Wagini Ward of Batsari LGA in Katsina State on 05 July. The attack affected 165 individuals, displacing 160 individuals to Wagini Town in Wagini Ward. As a result of the incident, five people were killed and 11 people were injured.
Windstorms also hit the communities of Garin Borkono in Wagini Ward of Batsari LGA and Sabuwar Unguwa and Yangaiya in Wakilin Kudu III Ward of Katsina LGA in Katsina State on 04 and 05 July. The storm affected 488 people and displaced 397 from Sabuwar Unguwa to Tudun Matawalle in Wakilin Kudu II Ward. As a result of the windstorm, seven people were killed in Sabuwar Unguwa and 29 people were injured in Sabuwar Unguwa and Yangaiya.

Between 14 and 15 February, armed bandits carried out attacks in Kanoma and Nasarawa Godal East Wards in Maru and Birnin Magaji LGAs of Zamfara State. These attacks resulted in the displacement of a significant number of people. An estimated 664 individuals from 114 households were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in nearby communities or makeshift shelters.
Meanwhile, between 15 and 18 February, farmer-herder attacks were reported in several wards in Apa, Agatu and Guma LGAs in Benue State. As a result of the attacks, a total of 12,369 individuals from 2,105 households were displaced from their homes forcing them to seek refuge
in neighbouring communities. There were 40 fatalities and 149 injuries reported as a result of the attacks.

Ce tableau de bord présente les dynamiques de déplacements à l’échelle nationale. L’évaluation a été réalisée dans 4 410 localités de présence des PDI et / ou retournés et 77 sites de déplacement. La collecte de données s’est tenue entre le 02 décembre 2023 et le 09 janvier 2024 dans les 16 préfectures du pays en plus de la capitale Bangui.j

Since October 8 there has been an increase in cross-border incidents between Israel and Lebanon, resulting in the displacement of people both within the South and elsewhere within the country. Since October 10, the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) has been conducting the daily monitoring of population movements. The objective of the exercise is to inform preparedness and response planning.

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the multiple dimensions of fragility in South Sudan at the subnational level: political and legal, social, economic, security, and environmental. By providing evidence-based contextualized insights, the study seeks to guide the development of programming and policies to support peacebuilding efforts in South Sudan, in in alignment with the Humanitarian Development Peace Nexus (HDPN) approach. South Sudan is an important case for the study of fragility because the country is in the process of transitioning from a humanitarian-only response plan to a more recovery-focused approach in which fragility, rather than armed conflict, is the primary barrier to sustainable peace and development.

The study deepens the understanding of how fragility varies across these dimensions within four distinct South Sudanese counties (Yei, Kajo-Keji, Bor, and Wau). It explores the impact of this variation on the local contexts where peacebuilding interventions are carried out by IOM and partners. To address these objectives, the research was conducted through a face-to-face household survey involving 1,595 adult respondents (51 per cent female, 49 per cent male), with approximately 400 participants in each of the four selected counties.

The findings reveal a complex landscape across multiple fragility dimensions. On the political dimension, there is a notable lack of confidence in government authorities at local, state, and national levels, and concerns persist about expressing political opinions in the context of national elections. However, there is a positive trend towards greater acceptance of women in politics. In the security dimension, perceptions vary across counties, with overall low trust in security actors and a reliance on informal mechanisms for dispute resolution. Informal armed groups continue to be seen as a source of insecurity, and concerns about renewed conflict linger. Opinions on transitional justice, accountability, and reconciliation are divided. In the social dimension, feelings of community acceptance are generally high, regardless of displacement status, although these results should be interpreted cautiously in light of potential social desirability bias on sensitive questions. Gender-based violence (GBV) including child marriage remains a challenging issue. Around 23 per cent of respondents had experienced Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) disputes, which are typically resolved by village chiefs, and acceptance of women’s land ownership was mixed. Lack of documentation of legal ownership and conflicts over natural resources including cattle and water are significant risk factors for HLP disputes. The majority of respondents rely on subsistence farming for their livelihood, and have limited purchasing power. Many also report an increase in the number and frequency of natural hazards contributing to environmental fragility.

The analysis shows important differences between the four counties across different dimensions of fragility. Bor stands out as the county with the highest levels of security, environmental, and economic fragility. Kajo-Keji, on the other hand, exhibits the highest level of political fragility, alongside high scores in economic and environmental fragility. Yei County records the highest level of social fragility and moderate levels of political and security fragility. In contrast, Wau County displays moderate overall fragility levels, with the lowest political fragility scores, along with low levels of social, economic and environmental fragility. Although the baseline pilot study does not enable precise identification of the drivers of subnational variation in fragility, we suggest potential explanations based on local context that could be more rigorously tested with follow-on studies.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to assess multiple dimensions of fragility in South Sudan at the subnational level in order to inform evidence-based and locally contextualized peacebuilding programmatic interventions in line with the HDPN approach.

Specifically, the study is designed to advance the following objectives:

1. Improved understanding of how variation in fragility across five dimensions (political and legal, social, economic, security, and environmental) in four different counties affects the local contexts where IOM and partners implement peacebuilding interventions;
2. Inform evidence-based and context-specific programming and policies within the HDPN approach;
3. Identify remaining knowledge gaps and open questions in need of further research including the effects of different types of fragility on efforts to promote sustainable development and peace.

Understanding variation in fragility across different regions within the country is crucial for developing context-specific interventions in line with the HDPN approach. This pilot study is the first empirical analysis of subnational variation in fragility in South Sudan across five different dimensions: political and legal, economic, social, security, and environmental. The results provide detailed insights into the needs of the four counties studied, which have broader implications for IOM programming in South Sudan.