UN alarmed by “sudden increase” of Blue Nile refugees in S Sudan
June 5, 2012 (JUBA) — António Guterres, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees on Monday decried what he described as the
“sharply” worsening humanitarian situation in South Sudan’s Upper Nile
State where the refugee agency (UNHCR) and humanitarian partners are
trying to contain a “sudden increase” in refugees from Sudan’s Blue Nile
state.
An estimated 35,000 refugees, UNHCR says, have arrived in Upper Nile
over the past three weeks, adding to 70,000 that reportedly existed in
the area. More refugees, according to the agency, are expected to
continue arriving as they flee fighting in the region.
“This is a dramatic change in an already difficult humanitarian
situation,” said Guterres, adding that, “Not only are refugee numbers
suddenly much higher, but the condition that many of these people are
in is shockingly bad. Some have been eating tree leaves to survive
along the way.”
UNHCR says it has stepped up efforts to assist these refugees,
providing buses and tractor-trailer to move people to safer locations
at Rum and Yusuf Batil, despite the difficult road conditions worsened
by recent rains. The refugee agency also believes most of the new
arrivals in Upper Nile are too close to the border for their safety.
“Pressure is enormous,” the UNHCR chief acknowledges, adding, “Despite
the rain, this is an area where there’s simply not enough safe
drinking water; This, and the security situation, makes it all the
more urgent that people are relocated fast to better protected
places.”
South Sudan, according to UNHCR, is currently hosting close to 150,000
refugees in the states of Central Equatoria (10,900), Jonglei (3,500),
Unity (38,300), Upper Nile (80,000) and Western Equatoria (15,600),
with majority of them reportedly originating from Central African
Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia and
Sudan.
However, with the ever increasing numbers of Sudanese refugees in the
country, UNHCR has expressed concerns over the huge logistical
challenges involved, especially in the delivery of humanitarian aid.
(ST)