UNHCR has said since war erupted in 2013 nearly 330,000 South Sudanese refugees, pictured in January 2017, have arrived in Sudan fleeing war and food insecurity in their country
About 32,000 South Sudanese have entered Sudan since the start of the year, with tens of thousands more expected to arrive fleeing a famine in their country, the UN refugee agency said Sunday.
On Monday, South Sudan, the world's youngest nation formed after splitting from the north in 2011, declared famine in some regions, saying 100,000 people faced starvation and another million were on the brink of famine.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR said it was initially expecting up to 60,000 South Sudanese to arrive in Sudan in the whole of 2017, but "the level of new arrivals has thus far surpassed initial expectations".
"So far, nearly 32,000 refugees are estimated to have arrived in Sudan in 2017," UNHCR said in a report released on Sunday.
"The food security situation is expected to deteriorate further in coming months" in South Sudan given that a famine has been declared in parts of the country's Unity State, it said.
UNHCR said refugees have reported walking for five to seven days to reach Sudan's border state like White Nile, and that 90 percent of the new arrivals there are women and children.
"Many arrive exhausted and in poor health, often with critical levels of malnutrition," it said.
UNHCR anticipates a continuous influx of South Sudanese refugees throughout 2017, but was concerned over the drop in funding to meet their needs.
The agency and partners have appealed for $ 166.65 million to meet the needs of South Sudanese refugees in Sudan, it said.
"So far, inter-agency partners have raised approximately five percent of funds needed."
Aid groups have slammed a "man-made" famine caused by bloodshed in South Sudan where civil war has forced people to flee, disrupted agriculture, sent prices soaring and cut off aid agencies from some of the worst-hit areas.
South Sudan has been engulfed by civil war since 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his rival and former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.
UNHCR said since the war erupted nearly 330,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Sudan fleeing war and food insecurity in their country.
Newer articles:
- U.N. steps up delivery of fishing gear to fight South Sudan famine - 28/02/2017 06:02
- South Sudanese dying of hunger: What is a famine? - 27/02/2017 22:29
- Exhausted S.Sudanese refugees flock to Sudan transit camp - 27/02/2017 11:58
- South Sudan’s Bleak Future - 27/02/2017 05:37
- In Famine-Hit South Sudan, Women And Children Eat Water Lilies To Survive - 26/02/2017 12:54
Older news items
- Pope says he's studying possible trip to South Sudan - 26/02/2017 10:05
- Explainer: Why tens of thousands face starvation in war-torn South Sudan - 25/02/2017 11:21
- Ethiopia, South Sudan appeal for urgent int'l aid to drought affected people - 24/02/2017 16:41
- South Sudan: Another African tragedy - 24/02/2017 12:29
- The Jewish duty to speak out about South Sudan - 24/02/2017 11:28
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan needs ‘civic education’ before elections, says bishop - 16/01/2025 16:42
- South Sudan parties set to resume peace talks in Kenya - 16/01/2025 16:39
- Abandoned but not forgotten – the invisible crisis in South Sudan - 16/01/2025 16:35
- The SAF has committed barbaric atrocities against South Sudanese refugees in Wad Medani - 16/01/2025 16:27
- Syria 2025: The historical Syrian project: From revolution to a modern inclusive civil state - 16/01/2025 16:10
Random articles (all categories):
- Chinese Fossil Fuel Investments in Africa - 10/11/2021 01:57
- Obituary of the Late: SILVIO AJING ABA GOC - 25/07/2012 20:46
- Political crisis casts shadow on Sudan's already fragile economy - 04/01/2022 15:49
- Sudanese rebels tell world to 'wake up' to war - 07/11/2013 21:40
- Russia annoyed at slow-paced investigation of chopper incident in South Sudan - The Voice of Russia - 21/01/2013 16:38
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 61773 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22308 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21496 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 19063 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 18823 times