So, finally, the work buzz has kicked in! It was actually on my birthday that I got some action work-wise and its because the 25th of July was the first day of relocating refugees from one camp to the other. Basically, the refugee camp called Jammam is totally flooded and so UNHCR has picked up a new location for around 30,000 people in an area called Gendrassa to move them too.
Its generally drier in Gendrassa than other areas; but it means nothing unfortunately. This is because the rainy season has just started and so, mud, pools and stagnant water are expected with more influx of people. For now, we are all just trying to enjoy the greener, cleaner, less smelly and hence less fly contaminated environment.
Until today, around 500 people have been moved up into Gendrassa by UNHCR. Our work was mainly to nutritionally screen every child from 6 months to 5 years, give them vitamin A and "de-worming" medication and send them to receive all necessary vaccinations. Its been exciting but pretty exhausting. I've been standing up from 9 am to 5 pm, screening, supervising local staff, liaising, helping out, getting screaming children spit all the medication I squirt into their mouths all over me ... the usual! Walking around in gum boots is not the easiest thing either.
Anyway, the bright side of things is that I got a temporary laptop that I will have to share with a colleague who doesn't have one. However, I have my hardware! So, I will try to upload photos on it later.
Also, I have a single, more private, tent put up for me today in a more quiet location (for now) of the compound. Of course, the crazy fat frogs and very weird bugs are there, but I have my own small, yet private space. Lets see how long this tent will last though, because its a bit cheap quality so I hope it doesn't flood or topple over with any windy and rainy nights that are expected to come.
Our number in the compound if increasing. Some people are going to leave on Saturday; but this is very common in an emergency: people come and go as quickly as refugees do. Its nice to meet new people from around the world, but I must say that it is kind of exhausting too.
Oh well! the funniest encounter I had today with the refugees was when I tried to get in touch with one of their "sheikhs" or community leaders, and I was led to see a guy who introduced himself as the "deputy Sheikh". It took me a second to register that, simply because I've never heard of a "deputy sheikh" before! Hopefully, he was telling the truth.
I will leave this here for today and get back to late night work before going off to sleep with the frogs, snakes and bugs! (speaking off: we've killed a baby Black Mamba today. Scary!)
Maban, South Sudan
26.7.2012
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