South Sudan Hosting 265,000 Refugees Says Commission

 JUBA, 11 November 2015 [Gurtong]: South Sudan Commission for Refugees says the country is hosting 265,000 refugees from Sudan’s Blue Nile and Southern Darfur, Ethiopian-Anyuak, DRC Congo and Central African Republic (CAR).

Mr. John Dabi, Deputy Commissioner for Refugees Affairs said this in a workshop organized by South Sudan commission for refugees Affairs jointly with partners UNHCR.

“We have currently 265,000 refugees in South Sudan, the refugees coming from Sudan, [Blue Nile and from south Khordufan] Ethiopian-Anyuak, Congo DRC and then from central Africa Republic [CAR]” said John Dabi, Deputy Commissioner for Refugees Affairs.

“This workshop is to develop a policy document which will guide us in protection of refugees in the republic of South Sudan. The issue of refugee is an international issue, it is not a national issue” he said.

 “It is a country where we welcome all foreigners because we ourselves were refugees for many-many years during the liberation struggle” said Mr. Dabi.

 “Now we are paying back and the same time we are asking the international important partners to work out and resolve some of the issues and help the refugees to stabilize” he added.

He said the document prepared on Wednesday will be used as a guide for the next three years for what will be a policy focus for the government of South Sudan and UNHCR to support Refugees in the country.

“We are working together and jointly with our colleagues [UNHCR] to ensure that the camps are well established so that it can accommodate the refugees” he added.

He said services; health, education, water and sanitation, shelters and other protection activities are being provided through partners.

Ajit Ferando, UNHCR Assistant representative said his agency is mandated to look after the refugees in the United Nation system.

“In South Sudan our main government counterpart is the commission for refugee affairs. We are lucky enough that South Sudan has one of the most liberal country refugees’ regimes and laws anywhere in the world” said Ferando.

“We are very happy that the commission for refugee affairs is now taking on long term strategy review of three years and we are fully supporting  the process because that will allow us, government and the commission to be involved in much more impact driven and result oriented and looking after refugees”.