S.Sudan refugees hit one million mark

Kampala. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has asked donors for support amounting to $701 million (about Shs2.3 trillion) towards operations to settle South Sudan refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries.
According to a press release issued yesterday, the agency announced that the number of South Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries this week passed the one million mark, including the 185,000 who fled the country when fresh violence erupted on July 8.
“With this milestone, South Sudan joins Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia as countries which have produced more than a million refugees,” the statement reads.

With 373,626, Uganda is hosting the lion’s share of South Sudanese, followed by Ethiopia which is hosting 290,000 mostly from the Nuer tribe in the Gambella region, then the Sudan with 247,317 who continue to flock the country’s East Darfur, South Darfur and White Nile states, then Kenya estimated to be hosting more than 90,000.
The agency reports that majority of the refugees are mainly women and children, including some 500 children travelling alone most of whom fled from Nasser, Maban, Mathiang and Maiwut in Upper Nile.
Most of them are citing insecurity and fears of renewed conflict after seeing significant troop movements while new arrivals from Jonglei talked of food shortages as one reason for fleeing.

In July, violence erupted in the world’s youngest nation as it prepared to celebrate its fifth independence anniversary amid a short-lived peace deal between supporters of President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President Riek Machar.
The fighting triggered waves of displacement and suffering which has resulted in 1.61 million internally displaced people.

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