South Sudanese refugees in Sudan's White Nile State reach 143,800

KHARTOUM, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of South Sudanese refugees in Sudan's White Nile State has reached 143,800, Humanitarian Aid Commission in the state announced Sunday.

"The number of South Sudanese refugees in the camps of White Nile State reached 143,800," Abdul-Qawi Hamid, humanitarian Aid Commissioner in White Nile State, said in a statement Sunday.

"The national organizations and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) are distributing food shares in a regular manner at all waiting stations," he added.

Hamid further expected arrival of more refugees to the refugee camps in the state in the coming period due to the continued security issues in South Sudan.

The White Nile state has been witnessing continuous influxes of refugees fleeing war and famine in South Sudan.

Sudan is hosting South Sudanese refugees in camps distributed in four states including the White Nile, South Kordofan, East Darfur and Khartoum.

On Aug. 15, 2016, Sudan decided to consider the South Sudanese fleeing the war in their country as refugees, opening the door for the UN to provide aid to them in the country.

Famine, which has recently been officially declared in South Sudan, was attributed to several reasons including the civil war and the economic collapse in the new-born state.