South Sudan refugees pass 1.5 million

B. Gezahegne

By

Male Daniel

The United Nation High Commission for Refugees stated that South Sudan has become Africa’s largest refugee crisis “With no solution in sight, refugee numbers from South Sudan crossing the 1.5 million mark.”

UNHCR is extremely alarmed at the ongoing pace of displacement in South Sudan, where more than 1.5 million people have been forced to leave the country and seek safety since conflict erupted in December 2013. An additional 2.1 million people are displaced inside South Sudan said William Spindler, UNHCR Spokesperson in Geneva.

“We are appealing on all parties involved in the conflict for an urgent peaceful resolution of the crisis, without which, thousands continue to arrive in South Sudan’s neighbouring countries of Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Central African Republic every day with the conflict now in its fourth year,” Spindler said.

He said “With this large scale displacement, South Sudan is now Africa’s largest refugee crisis and the world’s third after Syria and Afghanistan – with less attention and chronic levels of underfunding.”

Intense fighting broke out in South Sudan in July last year following the collapse of a peace deal between the government and opposition forces. More than 760,000 refugees fled the country in 2016, as the conflict intensified in the second half of the year, on average 63,000 people being forced to leave the country each month UNHCR said.

“Some half a million had to flee in the last four months since September 2016. More than 60% of the refugees are children, many arriving with alarming levels of malnutrition – enduring devastating impact of the brutalities of the ongoing conflict,” Spindler added.

Recent new arrivals report suffering inside South Sudan with intense fighting, kidnappings, rape, fears of armed groups and threats to life, as well as acute food shortage.

As the global displacement trends reflect, those fleeing South Sudan are being hosted by the poorest communities in the neighbouring countries, under immense pressure with scarce resources.

The majority of the refugees are being hosted by Uganda, where some 698,000 have arrived. Ethiopia is hosting some 342,000, while more than 305,000 are in Sudan and some 89,000 in Kenya, 68,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 4,900 in the Central African Republic.

UNHCR is encouraged by the welcome South Sudan refugees have received in the neighbouring countries, but remains extremely worried by the lack of resources to handle one of the world’s largest refugee crisis.

“We are working with authorities in South Sudan’s neighbouring countries to provide life-saving support and look after the basic needs of those arriving in desperate conditions. However, our relief efforts are being hampered by severe underfunding,” Spindler stated.

The UN refugee body renewed their call on donor countries to step up support to the humanitarian efforts for the South Sudan crisis situation.

Spindler said response capacities are over stretched in host countries and chronic underfunding is affecting life-saving efforts like the provision of clean drinking water, food, health facilities and sanitation. He added that the 2016 UNHCR funding appeal of USD$649 million funded a mere 33%.

Spindler said in 2017, UNHCR is seeking USD$782 million for regional operations inside South Sudan and the neighbouring host countries.

Male Daniel

Male Daniel is a South Sudanese journalist working for The Junubi newspaper and website. Earlier he worked for Bakhita Radio as reporter and web editor. Daniel completed the South Sudan Media Forum training in 2012. He is interested in various topics ranging from politics and economics to religion, women empowerment and Peace. Daniel says he particularly likes reporting on life in rural South Sudan.