730,000 South Sudanese fled to neighbouring countries as refugees
July 7, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – United Nations Refugee Agency in Geneva, Switzerland, said a total number of 730,000 South Sudanese have fled to the neighbouring countries in the region following the outbreak of violence in the country in December 2013, with biggest chunk of number sheltering as refugees in Ethiopia.
“Despite the rising numbers, the neighbouring countries of asylum kept their borders open. In Ethiopia some 180 South Sudanese refugees arrived every day. Ethiopia hosted more than 250,000 South Sudanese, in addition to 425,000 refugees of other nationalities,” said Adrian Edwards, for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The quarter million South Sudanese refugees, predominantly women and children from the Nuer ethnic group who fled from states of the oil-rich greater Upper Nile region, have been sheltering in a number of camps including a newly established Jewi Refugee Camp, which is located about 10km away from the Gambella town, the capital city of Gambella region in western part of Ethiopia near the border with South Sudan.
Sudan also saw the highest rate of arrivals this year, with more than 38,000 South Sudanese entering the country in June alone, according to the statement. It now hosts a total of 188,000 South Sudanese refugees.
In Uganda more than 155,000 arrived since December 2013, whereas Kenya received 46,000 South Sudanese refugees.
The world body however said refugee assistance programmes across the region were severely underfunded. UNHCR and 38 partners, it said, were requesting 810 million dollars to protect and assist up to 821,000 South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda combined.
Some 1.5 million South Sudanese are also displaced internally, added the statement.
(ST)