Over 2000 Sudanese refugees flee to South Sudan - The Africa Report



 More than 2 000 Sudanese last week arrived in South Sudan's largest refugee settlement in Yida, as they flee escalating fighting in their country, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said.

The agency says the arrival of 2 100 refugees has put pressure on the existing social facilities in the already overcrowded camp, saying some of the exiles walked long distances, without food or water.

UNHCR has since resolved to build a water point on the road between Yida and the border to ensure refugees fleeing from Sudan have access to drinking water.

It is also monitoring the route to the border and transporting the most vulnerable like children, pregnant women and the injured persons.

The agency's spokesperson Adrian Edwards said the fleeing Sudanese claimed they were running way from fighting taking place in the South Kordofan state, not far from the border with South Sudan.

"More than 85 percent of the new arrivals are women and children. Most of them are exhausted after having walked for several days.

"Ninety-nine children below five have been identified as malnourished and are being cared for.

During the past week there have been 2,100 new arrivals to the camp," he said.

Edwards said on arrival at the camp, the refugees went through medical and nutritional screening.

In order to help the refugees to settle, UNHCR provides them with emergency food rations, relief items like saucepans plates cups and jerricans.

One of the refugees who entered the camp last Wednesday, Abu Salel said, "I escaped with my family from the terrible fighting taking place near our village.

"We were told that many people had died where the fighting was taking place."