UNITED NATIONS, Jan 10 (NNN-XINHUA) — UN humanitarians said they are extremely concerned about the tens of thousands of refugees and returnees fleeing the Sudan conflict into South Sudan.
“More than 50,000 people have crossed over from Sudan in the past three weeks, with thousands of others reportedly waiting at the border to enter South Sudan,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
The office said that since the war in Sudan began in April 2023, nearly 500,000 people have fled to South Sudan.
OCHA is urgently calling for additional funding to meet overwhelming humanitarian needs at transit sites and to arrange onward transportation for new arrivals to ease overcrowding in the transit facilities. Essential supplies and services are minimal, and there is a growing risk of disease outbreaks.
“Our humanitarian partners in South Sudan are also responding to a yellow fever outbreak in the southern state of West Equatoria,” the office said, adding that three counties there have reported 17 suspected cases and one confirmed case, with six deaths, among children between the ages of 2 and 5.
The returnees referred to are South Sudanese who fled earlier conflict in South Sudan into Sudan and are now returning from the Sudan conflict. — NNN-XINHUA