South Sudanese refugees continues to arrive in Darfur
April 25, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – South Sudanese refugees from Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan have continued to flee across the border into Sudan due to hunger, coupled with insecurity, United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), has reported.
The refugees mainly from the states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Warrap have been crossing into Darfur region of Sudan, reaching tens of thousands so far for the past three months since January 2016.
OCHA has reported that approximately 54,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in East and South Darfur and West Kordofan in just over two months.
East Darfur alone has so far received about 43,000 of these new arrivals from Bahr el Ghazal region, home to President Salva Kiir.
The report forecasted that further arrivals are expected to continue, with a peak in late May prior to the onset of the rainy season in South Sudan.
“A total of 93,000 South Sudanese refugees are anticipated in East Darfur by the end of June, with an additional 7,000 in South Darfur,” says the report extended to Sudan Tribune.
The report also confirmed that over 221,000 South Sudanese have fled to Sudan since violence broke out in South Sudan in December 2013. Nearly 40 per cent have settled in White Nile State, with the remainder primarily in Khartoum, West and South Kordofan states.
“Parallel to this new influx, a steady flow of arrivals into White Nile State continues with about 500 refugees registered per week,” it says.
On 17 March, Sudanese government announced a decision that all South Sudanese in Sudan are to be treated as foreigners, instead of ‘brothers and sisters’ as they were previously regarded.
South Sudan broke away from Sudan in July 2011 and established its own independent state after decades of war between the two former northern and southern regions of one country.
(ST)