Ayod County, Jonglei State
DEMOGRAPHY
2008 Census population: 139,282
2020 Population projection*: 181,868
Ethnic groups and languages: Gawaar Nuer
Displacement Figures: 19,031 IDPs and 17,853 returnees (2019)
January 2020 IPC Projections: January 2020 – Emergency (Phase 4); February to April 2020 – Emergency (Phase 4); May to July – Emergency (Phase 4)
ECONOMY & LIVELIHOODS
Ayod County borders Unity State to the west, Fangak and Canal/Pigi Counties to the north, Hyirol and Uror Counties to the east, and Duk County to the south. Several rivers flow through Ayod County, including the Nile, Gurr, Juwol, and Atar. The Nile flows along the county’s western border and is a major transport artery and natural asset.
Ayod County is part of the eastern plains, sorghum and cattle livelihood zone (FEWSNET, 2018). The main activities in these livelihood zones include rearing livestock, supplemented by agriculture and fishing. According to a FAO and WFP report from 2018, 10% of households in the county engage in agriculture. Farmers primarily grow sorghum, maize, groundnut and cowpeas. Livestock normally move towards the river from February to April and return to homesteads from May to June as the rainy season begins. Under normal conditions floods are a significant livelihood hazard as they can limit fishing activities and reduce crop, livestock, and wild foods production. Additionally, cattle raids, livestock diseases, crop pests and drought are major factors affecting livelihoods.
Food insecurity has been sustained in Ayod County. In 2016, IPC projections listed the county as being at Crisis levels (IPC Phase 3) of food insecurity, which had increased to projected Emergency levels (IPC Phase 4) of food insecurity in 2020. As recently as February 2020, up to 40,000 people spread across Akobo, Duk and Ayod was estimated to be in Humanitarian Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). REACH assessments have consistently documented high levels of food insecurity, low levels of food access, and reported that many households have lost 50% of their livestock. A February 2019 assessment by REACH ranked Ayod County as one of the top areas of South Sudan reporting livestock disease outbreaks as having a significant impact on ability to access adequate food. A rapid assessment conducted in by WFP in February 2017 concluded that the majority of households were reliant on one meal a day, which consisted of wild foods. Markets were not functional at the time, and a result Ayod residents had to resort to markets located 2-3 days away on foot.
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES
The county HQ is in Ayod Town. The return to civil war in December 2013 caused significant displacement into and within Ayod County, which placed stress on already scarce resources. The insecurity and conflict further reduced access, especially in remote areas, to traditional sources of supplies and services. Minimal or no market activities were reported for long periods in Ayod, Fangak, and Canal counties in Jonglei State.
According to OCHA’s (2019) Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2020, over 129,000 people in Ayod County have significant humanitarian needs, which represents 130% of the estimated population of the county reported in the HNO. The fact this is over 100% may reflect the reality that population projections for Ayod were too low and/or that many of those in need are IDPs/refugees displaced from neighbouring areas or returnees that were not present in the county at the time of the last census on which projections are based. In addition to food insecurity, protection, child protection, and GBV needs are particularly high compared to the rest of the country. Fighting in northern Jonglei State and Unity State led to massive displacement of populations into Ayod County during the civil war – such that in March 2016, government officials reported that 300,000 people in Ayod town were “in dire need of aid” (ReliefWeb 2016). While this may be an overestimate, several waves of displacement – frequently between 20,000 and 33,000 people – into Ayod in mid-2014, early 2015 and early 2016 placed a significant burden in the limited services available in the county (IRNA 2015). Security and road access constraints have made it difficult for humanitarian agencies to assist the local population.
CONFLICT DYNAMICS
Ayod County has witnessed clashes between government and opposition forces since 2014. This includes the recruitment of child soldiers, particularly orphans (HRW 2015). After retaking Bor in late January 2014, the SPLA and Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) pushed north towards Ayod—the Gawaar Nuer and Greater Fangak opposition stronghold. The government seized control of Ayod town by late April 2014, but the opposition retained control of the countryside. A UN report from July 2014 reported that between 1,000 and 1,500 SPLA soldiers reportedly abandoned their posts in Duk and Ayod counties because their salaries had not been paid and there was widespread lack of motivation to fight for Kiir’s presidency. Ayod was again the site of intense fighting in September 2014 and March 2015 as the SPLA-IO attempted to regain control of Ayod town. Both campaigns reportedly resulted in heavy opposition casualties and widespread displacement.
Clashes between the Lou Nuer and Dinka in 2017 in Duk County led to thousands of civilians being displaced to Ayod and an increase in humanitarian needs. Ayod is now considered relatively stable in terms of conflict between organized armed groups, with the latest clashes being reported in 2018.
ADMINISTRATION & LOGISTICS
Payams: Ayod (County Headquarters), Kurwai, Kuach-deng, Mogok, Pagil, Pajiek, Wau
Roads:
- Roads: A secondary road connects Ayod to a primary road that runs southwards through Twic East to Bor. According to the Logistics Cluster, this road was open, listed as “green” during the dry season in 2019, but closed with a “red warning” during the rainy season.
- A secondary road runs eastwards, connecting Ayod to Waat, however seasonal road conditions are unknown.
UNHAS-Recognized Heli-Landing Sites and Airstrips: Gorwai, Jiech, Mogok, Pagil
REFERENCES
FAO & WFP. (2018). Special Report: FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to South Sudan. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/ca3643EN/ca3643en.pdf
FEWSNET. (2018). Livelihoods Zone Map and Descriptions for the Republic of South Sudan (Updated).
HRW. (2015). “We Can Die Too”: Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers in South Sudan. Retrieved from: https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/12/14/we-can-die-too/recruitment-and-use-child-soldiers-south-sudan
IRNA. (2014). IRNA Report: Ayod, Wau and Pagil, Ayod County, Jonglei State. Retrieved from: https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/assessments/07-08.03.2014_IRNA_Ayod_final.pdf
IRNA. (2015). IRNA Report: Kandak Boma, Pagil Payam, Jonglei State. Retrieved from: https://assessments.hpc.tools/sites/default/files/assessments/IRNA_Kandak%2C%20Ayod%2C%20Jonglei%20State_6-7%20Jan%202015%20final.pdf
OCHA. (2019). Humanitarian Needs Overview: South Sudan 2020.
REACH. (2018). Ayod County: Food Security and Livelihoods. Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/reach_ssd_factsheet_food_security_and_livelihoods_in_greater_upper_nile_july_2018.pdf
REACH. (2019). Food Security and Livelihoods Ad-hoc Assessment, Lankien. Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/research-methodology-note-food-security-and-livelihoods-ad-hoc-assessment-lankien
WHO. (2017). Situation Report #119 on Cholera in South Sudan. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/hac/crises/ssd/sitreps/south-sudan-cholera-update-5may2017.pdf?ua=1
UN. (2014). Warring Parties in South Sudan Must Embark on Path of Reconciliation or Risk Humanitarian Catastrophe. Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11510.doc.htm
REPORTS on AYOD
Gordon, R: (2014). In the eye of the storm: an analysis of internal conflict in South Sudan’s Jonglei State. Retrieved from: https://securelivelihoods.org/wp-content/uploads/In-the-Eye-of-the-Storm-an-Analysis-of-Internal-Conflict-in-South-Sudans-Jonglei-State.pdf
McCallum, J. (2017). The Murle and the Security Dilemma in the South Sudan-Ethiopia Borderlands. Retrieved from: https://www.southsudanpeaceportal.com/repository/murle-security-complex-south-sudan-ethiopia-borderlands
Todisco, C; (2015). Real, but Fragile: The Greater Pibor Administrative Area. Retrieved from: http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/fileadmin/docs/working-papers/HSBA-WP35-Greater-Pibor.pdf
UNMISS. (2012). Incidents of Inter-Communal Violence in Jonglei State. Retrieved from https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4feac8632.pdf