UNHCR highlights humanitarian interventions in South Sudan

April 22, 2016 (JUBA) – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has highlighted on the ongoing humanitarian concerns and interventions in the war-torn South Sudan, as the world’s organization updated on this month’s conditions faced by refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan.

In a statement released on Friday, UNHCR said it had carried out polio vaccination campaign targeting children in Unity and Upper Nile state, saying it has reached tens of thousands of refugee children in the two states.

UNHCR and partners, it said, had kicked off the National Polio Immunization Days campaign in Yida, Ajoung Thok and Maban’s four refugee camps, reaching nearly 54,000 children under five years, in coordination with “South Sudan’s Ministry of Health, Maban and Pariang Health Department, WHO and UNICEF.”

The organization and its partner, the Relief International (RI), scaled up Gentil hospital’s health in the area, which could now provide a “24-hour emergency room, adult and pediatric in-patient department, a 24-hour maternity ward (basic emergency obstetric and newborn care), an immunization programme and a stabilization centre.”

In Western Equatoria it said it has relocated more refugees from Ezo to Makpandu camp and also organized a humanitarian convoy, protected by armed peacekeepers, to carry a second group of 39 refugees from Ezo settlement to Makpandu, a town 220 km to the east, in Western Equatoria.

“To date, 69 refugees have been relocated, with more operations foreseen in the future,” partly reads the statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

In Central Equatoria it added that refugee children receive schools kits in Lasu refugee settlement.

It added that UNHCR and its partners have so far distributed 2,416 school kits to primary and secondary schools pupils.

“Another 418 kits were distributed to local pupils in Nyori Primary School,” it added.

(ST)