IOM reports increased movement of people from Abyei into Sudan
June 5, 2016 (JUBA) – A movement of populations from the people Ngok Dinka of Abyei into from South Sudan into Sudan or to Khartoum in particular has been reported by the IOM this month.
“Since the beginning of May 2016, there has been an increased movement of people from Abyei into Sudan. This freedom of movement is a result of a recent inter-community peace agreement between the Dinka Ngok and Misseriya, which has improved relation between the two communities and allowed cross border trade to resume,” IOM report suggested.
“IOM has set up a flow monitoring system at the departure point in Noong Market to monitor, track and record daily movements of people to and from Sudan. Since April 30, 977 households have left to Sudan. The majority of the population is from the Dinka Ngok community from Abyei and Twic with a small number from Warrap and Mayom county in Unity State,” the report said.
The majority of the population, it added, is going to Khartoum, reportedly to visit family, seek medical care, or better educational opportunities for their children, in addition to search for food.
Over 52,000 South Sudanese have crossed the border to Sudan since the beginning of 2016, mainly going into East Darfur state.
Food insecurity is reportedly the main factor for the movements of tens of thousands of populations from South Sudan’s Bahr el Ghazal region into Sudan.
(ST)