UN to repatriate over 1,000 Shilluk and Dinkas from Ethiopia
- Details
- Created on Saturday, 14 April 2007 15:34
- Written by Pachodo.org News Room
The UN refugee agency said on Friday it would repatriate more than 1,000 Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia over the next 10 days.
In a statement, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it would launch the first voluntary repatriation airlift targeting mainly the Dinka and Shilluk minority ethnic groups from Ethiopia on Saturday.
"A plane carrying 50 refugees is scheduled to take off from the Gambella airport and fly to Juba, South Sudan. It will be the first of three flights scheduled to ferry 150 returning refugees on Saturday," the UNHCR said.
The Dinka refugees will be going from Fugnido and Dimma camps, and the smaller groups such as the Shilluk will depart from Bonga camp to various destinations in South Sudan, it said.
"We expect to repatriate 1,064 refugees to remote towns and villages in the Upper Nile, Jongley, South Kordofan and other states," the statement said.
The UN agency said the air repatriation supplements the ongoing road repatriation of Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia.
"The areas of return in Sudan for the Dinkas and other minority groups in our camps in western Ethiopia are extremely difficult to access by road, hence the resort to an airlift," it said.
The UN agency said it plans to resume airborne repatriation after the rainy season, in September-October, and bring 1,800 other refugees to Sudan by the end of the year.
More than 15,000 Sudanese refugees have returned from Ethiopia since the UNHCR-assisted return operation began in March 2006 -- including over 10,400 since Feb. 26, 2007.
Some 55,000 Sudanese refugees are still sheltered in four camps in Ethiopia. An estimated 300,000 Sudanese refugees remain in camps in neighboring countries.
The UN World Food Program (WFP) said Thursday it will gradually shift its operations in southern Sudan from emergency war relief to longer term recovery due to a reduced demand for food aid after more than 20 years of delivering food aid to the region.
The United Nations's largest food agency said the end of the civil war in south Sudan combined with better harvests enabled the agency to launch the new strategy.
WFP said the new strategy will see emergency food aid for the vast region cut by 19 percent this year while school feeding programs triple in size and food-for-work projects jump from 121, 000 participants last year to more than 160,000 in 2007.
Since the civil war ended in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, more than 1 million people displaced by the conflict have returned to their homes in southern Sudan.
Newer news items:
- NCP, SPLM Joint Meeting Discusses Important Issues Today - 17/04/2007
- Parliament should intervene on South capital row - 17/04/2007
- Sudan says it accepts U.N. attack helicopters - 16/04/2007
- Proposal to change the apparent dark future of Collo - 14/04/2007
- Mr. Pagan Amum and Dr. Ali Nafi Meeting (Arabic) - 14/04/2007
Older news items:
- Upper Nile minister rejects lawmakers decision to sack him - 14/04/2007
- Sudan stresses commitment to peacekeeping agreements with UN, AU - 14/04/2007
- What does Sudan have to do with Iraq, Afganistan, and the Islamic world.. - 12/04/2007
- Salva Kiir Urges Unity of Southern Sudanese - 11/04/2007
- US Deputy Secretary of State to Visit Sudan Thursday - 11/04/2007
Latest News/Articles
Dear all Collo members around the world.I'm very happy to hear that there is a reconiliation peace going on between our Collo groups particuar,Dr. Lam Akol and Pagan Amum, Seceratary General of S.P.L.M/A. Collo had been lead in to very complicated conflict which has dishonored our dignity and dignitaries. To you all Collo members , let us have a words of foregiveness, peace of mind, polite words for persuasive one another to feel at home, make a free smooth road for our youngest brothers and sisters , so that they may deal with big challenge that coming now behind us Collo community in general. Instead of teaching them the differences. We Collo should teach our brothers and sisters the way that may leave them united and stronge to face any challenge that will come today and tomorrow. To back up my words, any community has conflict, crimmal, and gangs members.But who are they solution? To me solution are leaders and elders of the community.Who are they leaders and elders of Collo community today around the world , I think Dr. Lam Akol, Dr. Peter Adwok Nyaba and Mr. Pagan Amum are well known political leaders and Collo leaders and elders at same time. Also they are many Collo leaders I'm not aware of that we as Collo should be proud of and admiration of represending our country Sudan and Southern Sudan. My last words is that let all of us feel with peace ,enjoy, wisdom, polite, love,and united amonge all Collo members, in U.S.A, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Austral, and others countries I did'n mention.
Our Heavenly Father ,GOG ofAbraham, GOD of Isaac, GOD of Jacob. with Holy spirit be with you all around the world and his shining peace on you all.
Peace Lover in U.S.A