New return corridors opened for Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia- UN
March 12, 2004 (KHARTOUM) — The voluntary repatriation of Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia to Blue Nile and Upper Nile States is gaining momentum, the UNHCr said today.
Over the weekend two new return corridors were officially opened. One convoy brought home some 323 rejoicing returnees from Fugnido camp, Ethiopia through Pagak to Maiwut County in Upper Nile State. Another convoy transported 495 returnees from Yarenja camp, Ethiopia through Bambodi back home to Damazine in Blue Nile State.
The returnees of both convoys received a warm welcome by local authorities, UNHCR, its partners and most of all by their friends and families. After years of living in exile, separated family members could finally be reunified.
UNHCR is conducting the repatriation through the Yarenja – Bambodi – Damazin corridor, together with its governmental counterparts the Humanitarian Affairs Commission (HAC) and the Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC). The corridor will be operational during the month of March, helping repatriate a total of 1,500 Sudanese refugees from the rather isolated Yarenja camp.
Return movements through the Fugnido-Pagak-corridor are conducted in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other UN partners.
The UNHCR Representative in Sudan, Chrysantus Ache congratulated the teams for their joint efforts: “I especially applaud the Governments of Ethiopia and Sudan for their commitment in carrying out the decisions reached at the Tripartite Commission meeting in Addis Ababa earlier this year”, he said. Ache also reminded the international community that with the opening of two new corridors UNHCR would need more funds to sustain the return movements, particularly for returnees coming back from Ethiopia.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sudan, Dr Lam Akol, described the opening of new corridors as a remarkable achievement by UNHCR.
In 2007, over 30,000 Sudanese refugees are expected to be repatriated with UNHCR’s assistance from Ethiopia alone. Most of them will return to Blue Nile and Upper Nile States, where the UN Refugee agency is through its implementing partners engaging in reintegration projects for returnees, IDPs and the local communities.
Since the signing of the peace agreement (CPA) in January 2005, an estimated 105,000 refugees have returned to South Sudan from various neighboring countries of asylum, including 32,400 with UNHCR’s assistance.
(UNHCR)