Countries: South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan Source: REACH Initiative Please refer to the attached file. Key Messages• The suspension of Onward Transport Assistance (OTA) has led to a growing population of increasingly vulnerable returnees in Renk County – a trend expected to continue throughout the second half of 2025.• Findings indicate severe humanitarian conditions among returnees across various locations in Renk County – especially in relation to food security, nutrition, health, and WASH – amid overstretched host communities and declining humanitarian response capacity. The cholera death rate doubled between June (0.4%) and July (0.9%).• Deteriorating conditions in the Transit Centre have already led to unrest, and returnees are reportedly increasingly relying on negative coping mechanisms – raising concerns about potential future tensions.• There is a strong need for durable solutions and integration support, as many returnees are likely to remain in Renk long-term now that options for onward movement are limited.• In addition to shifting population dynamics, the onset of the rainy season presents notable risks, including flooding, disease outbreaks, and further constraints on access and livelihoods.ContextSince the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, over 1 million individuals have crossed the border from Sudan into South Sudan.1 Of these new arrivals, over 800,000 crossed the border at Wunthow/Joda in Renk. The majority are “returnees”; South Sudanese nationals who have returned to South Sudan, after having initially fled the country because of conflict.2 These arriving populations are highly vulnerable. For many, their return to South Sudan follows a prolonged period as refugees in areas of Sudan that are facing severe food insecurity.3 Furthermore, due to the high costs of transportation, the many checkpoints and insecurity along the route, many returnees arrive in South Sudan deprived of most – if not all – of their financial and material assets.4 Those without relatives in South Sudan are even more vulnerable, with very limited access to social support structures.Rationale & MethodologyOn June 1, 2025, Onward Transport Assistance (OTA) from Renk to other areas in South Sudan was suspended, while transportation from Wunthow/Joda to Renk continued at a very limited capacity. As such, an increasingly large number of vulnerable returnees are likely to reside in Renk County, either in or around the already over-crowded Transit Centre (TC) or alongside a host community with very limited absorption capacity.In the first half of 2025, returnees in Renk County were already facing severe levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. In this fragile context, the suspension of OTA – alongside a broader reduction in humanitarian services – further strained both public services and host community capacities to share resources. These developments raised serious concerns about a potential public health crisis.Given this risk, the information gaps associated with a rapidly evolving context, and the overall scarcity of qualitative data on returnees in South Sudan, REACH conducted a qualitative assessment in Renk County in June-July 2025. Primary data was collected from the 18th of June to the 1st of July 2025, and consisted of two qualitative components: 21 key informant interviews (KIIs) with humanitarian organisations and local authorities, and 16 focus group discussions (FGDs) with returnees and members of the host community (methodology continued on page 8).