South Sudan would face humanitarian crisis after referendum – minister

August 19, 2010 (JUBA) — International community has to prepare to provide massive humanitarian assistance to southern Sudan due to the expected violence in the region after the referendum on self determination scheduled for January 2011, a minister said on Thursday.

“We have to be ready, we have to have plans,” said Southern Sudan government Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management James Kok Ruea before UN officials and aid groups in a meeting held in Juba today.

“The needs will be enormous, so we will need your support,” he added.

As the campaign for referendum has already started, southerners are invited by groups advocating for separation to vote for independence while another campaign supporting a united Sudan is launched in Khartoum.

Khartoum and Juba ruling parties trade accusations of sabotaging chances to maintain united the largest country in Africa and favoring separation. They also failed to properly put in place the needed instruments to run the vote on self determination or to agree on border demarcation.

The minister said Tuesday that there are three possible scenarios that might emerge in the region but all imply massive humanitarian demands, reported AFP and AP.

If southerners vote for independence, there is a need to be ready to receive some 1.5 million of southerners living currently in northern Sudan who would probably return to the south, Ruea said. He also mentioned the return of refugees who are still in neighboring countries.

In case of vote in favor of unity, the top humanitarian official in Juba government said disappointed southerners may also cause troubles and the region would be in crisis.
“People would not want to be in a system of destabilization, Islam-ization, Arab-ization and marginalization,” he stressed.

“If the Islamic system in the north (National Congress Party government) decided to interrupt the smooth running of the referendum, then what do you think the situation is going to be?” He asked. “There will be tension and likely it will go back to war,” he further added.

“What happens when fighting takes place? People are killed, properties are lost, the most vulnerable group are children, women, and elderly people. There would be massive displacement,” he warned.

The U.N. Deputy Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Southern Sudan, Lise Grande, said donors have been very generous with Southern Sudan but said many people in the south still suffer..

Tribal violence in Southern Sudan last year killed some 700 people and displaced over 150,000, the UN reported.

(ST)