Massive influx of South Sudanese refugees in Sudan

More than 38,000 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Sudan during the month of June, marking the largest monthly arrival rate to the country since the conflict broke out in Juba in December 2013.

In the week ending 30 June, 7,241 refugees arrived in the country, representing over 1,000 arrivals a day, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan reports in its latest weekly bulletin.

This brings the total number of arrivals in 2015 to 72,296. Refugees are arriving in White Nile, South Kordofan, West Kordofan and Khartoum states. In Kharasana, West Kordofan, a further 2,368 refugees have arrived in the last week bringing the total from the recent influx to 15,110 refugees. In South Kordofan 2,576 refugees have arrived, the majority of whom went to Abu Jubaiha town and Gereid village. In White Nile State, 1,822 refugees have arrived.

The total number of South Sudanese arrivals in Sudan now stands at 187,747, of whom over 101,000 have received some form of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Response

An extension of three refugee sites in White Nile State – El Alagaya, El Redis II and El Kashafa – is under way with demarcation of the additional space in progress. Emergency tents have already been erected to cope with the refugee influx as shelter materials are delivered.

In preparation for the rainy season, a three-month supply of Super Cereals (142 MT) was pre-positioned in the five sites of Al Kashafa, El Redis I, El Redis II, Jouri and Um Sangor.

In Jouri site, the State Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) constructed three communal shelters, a laboratory and a pharmacy. In Um Sangor site, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) constructed a health clinic comprising of a screening room, a nutrition room, a laboratory and a pharmacy. The clinic is staffed with a doctor, a medical assistant, two nurses, two midwives and a lab technician. However, there is no ambulance available in the camp and referrals are transported by car, the OCHA bulletin reads.

With the exception of Dabat Bosin, the amount of water available at the other refugee sites in White Nile State has fallen below 10 litres per person per day, not meeting SPHERE recommendation of 15 litres per person per day. The water availability and latrine coverage in El Redis II has been particularly affected by the large number of an estimated 8,000 new arrivals in the last weeks. In response to the water and sanitation gaps, aid organisations are rehabilitating latrines in the area and conducting latrine management campaigns as well as hygiene promotion sessions, while further funding is sought.

In West Kordofan’s Kharasana area, the World Food Programme (WFP) distributed one-month food rations to 7,642 refugees. For refugees without proper shelter the storage of food is a serious problem especially with the upcoming rains. UNHCR and agencies on the ground are in discussions to enhanced capacity to be deployed in the state, especially international NGOs.