3500 South Sudanese refugees reached Sudan, humanitarian official

January 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the Sudanese Humanitarian body said on Thursday that the number of South Sudanese who arrived in the country fleeing the fighting has reached 3500 refugees.

Sudanese refugee commissioner Hamad El-Gizouli dismissed earlier this week statements by UNHCR external relations officer Nicolas Brass who said that at least 10,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Sudan since the start of fighting in the neighbouring country last December.

The number of South Sudanese refugees has reached more than three thousands, there are 2090 people in the White Nile state, 1310 in South Kordofan state and 97 others in West Kordofan state, said Abdel Raham Hussein after a meeting with the first vice-president, Bakri Hassan Saleh and interior minister Abdel-Wahid Ibrahim.

Hussein further said that the vice-president directed to provide them with the needed humanitarian assistance and shelter. Bakri also demanded to coordinate these humanitarian efforts between the federal and regional institutions to avoid any delay.

Sudanese president Omer Al-Bashir said they do not want to establish camps for the South Sudanese refugees fleeing the current crisis but vowed to allow them to enter the country and to settle where they want to go without restrictions or any formality.

UN agencies estimate that over 400,000 are now displaced inside the South Sudan and 74,000 others moved into neighbouring countries.

(ST)