Urgent help needed for '500000' South Sudan returnees - Reuters AlertNet

Source: member // Plan International

URGENT support is needed for tens of thousands of returning South Sudanese if a humanitarian crisis is to be avoided in the world’s newest state, warns global children’s organisation Plan International.

An estimated 500,000 South Sudanese are still remaining in Sudan a few days before the April 8 deadline for them to regularise their stay in the north as registered foreigners or leave.

The closing date marks the end of grace period for unrestricted cross-border migration following South Sudan’s independence last July. The expected mass movement of people has been labeled “a logistical nightmare” by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Plan’s Country Director in South Sudan, Fikru Abebe said: “A mass movement of people on the scale of hundreds of thousands could create a serious humanitarian crisis, especially given that South Sudan is already dealing with tribal violence, border conflicts and a food crisis in some areas.”

Abebe said although the Republic of South Sudan government was doing all it could to assist the returnees; but the shortage of funds, mobility and sporadic border conflicts were hampering the repatriation and the reintegration process.

Plan is making provisions for 33,000 returnees in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Lakes States where the organisation is currently carrying out aid response.

Plan aims to give returnees livelihoods support to ensure they are reintegrated into their communities. Activities include establishing and running child-friendly spaces, providing temporary learning spaces and schools, school meals, education kits and support to teachers to ensure that children do not lose out on schooling. Provision of safe drinking water and sanitation and non-food items is also part of the response.

Abebe said among the most vulnerable returnees are children who were separated from their families, disabled individuals, female headed households, pregnant and new mothers, older people without family support and chronically ill persons.

Ensuring security en-route for those making their way south by air, road, rail and boat is also a challenge and priority.

Many southerners in the north fled the two decade long civil war and have lived in Sudan since then. Most of them lost their Sudanese citizenship after secession on 9 July 2011 when the South Sudan became an independent state.

 

 Editor's notes:

• Plan has been working with the South Sudan government since 2007 to rebuild the country after more than two decades of civil war that killed two million people and displaced four million others.

 

• Plan has supported 121,000 people from the first wave of returnees in 2011 through relief food distribution, food for education, school gardening in partnership with WFP, distributing seeds and farm tools as part of early recovery of agricultural in partnership with FAO. Other activities included 35 bore holes providing clean water, school materials and protection maninly in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei States.

 

• Plan aims to raise $10 million for a response program over the next 9 months.

 

The Country Director for Plan in South Sudan is available for interviews. For more information and arrangement for media interviews please contact:

 

Media Contacts:

 

Atem Dut

Communication Officer

Plan International in South Sudan

Mobile: +211 957165104

 

Lillian Omariba

Regional Media Specialist

Region of Eastern and Southern Africa

Mobile: +254 (0) 715 552 476