The number of South Sudanese refugees in Sudan’s White Nile State has reached 150,000, said the chairman of the technical coordination committee for refugee affairs in the state, Altayeb Mohamed Abdallah.
He told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) the South Sudanese refugees have been accommodated in two camps in Al-Gabalain area and six camps in Al-Salam area.
Abdallah pointed out to new flows of refugees which require the establishment of additional camps in areas that need to be provided with the basic services.
He pointed to the adverse impact of the refugee flows in White Nile State, saying they share the services with the residents as well as degradation of vegetation due to the use of trees as fuel in addition to water and environmental pollution resulting from burning of trees.
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 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (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.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said 3,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Sudan in the first half of January 2018.
According to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), an estimated 200,000 new South Sudanese refugees are anticipated to arrive in Sudan in 2018.
SOURCE: Relief Web
