EU team visits S. Sudan refugees in West Kordofan
January 16, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – A delegation from the European Union (EU) on Tuesday has visited the camps of South Sudanese refugees in West Kordofan State.
In a press release on Wednesday, the secretary general of West Kordofan government Abdel-Mun’im Mohamed said the delegation visited South Sudanese refugees at Al-Mairam and Al-Kharasana camps, pointing the visit has been carried out in coordination with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
He added the visit of the EU delegation aimed at assessing the actual needs of the refugees as well as the problems facing them.
According to Mohamed, the delegation vowed to complete the education, health and water projects inside the camps besides launching development projects for the host communities.
He added that West Kordofan hosts over 52,000 South Sudanese refugees.
Over 2 million South Sudanese refugees have been displaced as a result of the conflict that hit the world’s youngest nation in mid-December 2013.
According to the UNHCR, as of 15 January 2018, the total South Sudanese refugee population in Sudan stood at 770,110.
Other sources estimate a total of 1.3 million South Sudanese refugees in Sudan, but this data requires verification.
South Sudanese refugees in Sudan have reportedly been distributed in four states including the White Nile, South Kordofan, East Darfur and Khartoum states, amid concerns the current numbers will rise.
In August 2016, Sudan officially declared that South Sudanese fleeing war in their country will be treated as refugees, which opens the door for the UN to provide them with aid and fund aid programs.
(ST)