CLOSURE OF JODA BORDER ENTRY POINT IN WHITE NILE – The Joda entry point has been closed since 28 March, with reasons for the closure still unclear. This has halted the crossing of South Sudanese people from the northern Upper Nile region in South Sudan. Reports indicate that “many” people are stranded on the other side intending to cross into Sudan. UNHCR is preparing a contingency plan for Joda to manage a higher arrival figure if/when Joda re-opens. Two other border entry points at El Megenis and Kuek remain open and continue to receive new arrivals.

On 28 March 2018 the second Tripartite Commission Meeting was held in Bujumbura, Burundi. UNHCR continues assisting returns of Burundian refugees from Tanzania who are voluntarily choosing to go to their areas of origin.

Over 4,300 South Sudanese refugees newly arrived in Sudan in March, for a total of nearly 15,000 who have arrived in Sudan in 2018 so far. The majority of new arrivals are crossing through East Darfur and South Darfur. Total verified South Sudanese refugee population stands at nearly 769,000.

Fuel shortages across Sudan worsened at the end of March, interfering with response logistics and slowing down humanitarian assistance at refugee locations. While some relief has been provided with renewed availability of fuel supplies, additional shortages are anticipated in the coming months.

According to WFP, import restrictions and clearance delays are driving general food distribution (GFD) gaps to refugees across Sudan. There are ongoing pipeline breaks for pulses, cooking oil and salt, with refugees in most location receiving partial rations with key commodities missing. The cooking oil gap will likely be resolved in April.

UNHCR Senior Regional WASH Officer visited White Nile refugee camps Al Waral, Jouri, Al Kashafa and Al Redis I and II and flagged 3 key priorities for state WASH response: Urgent need to rehabilitate and de-sludge communal latrines; and installation of household latrines to address widespread open defecation driven by people’s unwillingness to use most latrines. While improved coverage of household latrines is a key priority of the WASH response, a lack of space in most camps without site extensions requires continued reliance on communal latrines.

ECHO - The South and South-East of Ethiopia are affected by serious drought due to the fourth consecutive failed rainy season.

Camp site extensions granted in East Darfur and White Nile, to accommodate an additional 18,000 newly arrived refugees.

UNHCR and the Government's Commission for Refugees (COR)’s joint protection monitoring have identified significant protection issues involving the assault of refugees by host community members in Al Lait locality, including the killing of a refugee man over a dispute, physical assault of a refugee minor and two refugee men and one reported sexual assault of a refugee woman.

Local authorities at El Leri, South Kordofan have allowed the construction of 300 household latrines by UNICEF at the Dar Batti settlement after being halted in Fall 2017, following a request by authorities to relocate refugees living there due to increasing demand on local water supply and services.