Over 1,000 Sudanese refugees, mostly women and children, have recently arrived in South Sudan’s Unity state, according to the chairperson of the Sudanese diaspora community in Bentiu.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Thursday, Mahjub Ahmed Abakar Abdalla, the chairman of the Sudanese diaspora community in Unity state, said the refugees were received by the state government and were provided with food supplies and some were sent to the Panyier refugee camp.
“The war in Sudan is affecting the state as many people from the neighbouring states in Sudan sought refuge in Unity state. The state government welcomed them and relocated some of them to Panyier camp and the humanitarian organizations also provided them with food supplies,” he said.
He added that the economic situation in Unity was affected by the war in Sudan as well as the closure of the road that links the state with the capital, Juba due to the floods and heavy rains.
He pointed out that the Sudanese traders in the state experienced some losses when four boats carrying goods amounting to 300 tons from Juba sunk in the Nile, causing a hike in the price of goods but the traders and the state government intervened and provided maize floors from Juba, Renk and Sudan which elevated the situation.
“This year, we had some incidents, and four of our boats carrying goods from Juba sank in the Nile. This cost us a lot of money. There were also shortages of maize floor but the traders, through their collective efforts, managed to bring it from Renk, Leer and Sudan,” Mahjub said.
Abdalla revealed that a delegation from the state government headed by the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Trade paid a field visit to the market to receive goods coming from Juba and to listen to the concerns of the traders.
He said the humanitarian situation in the state is stable due to the support from the host community and the Sudanese traders to the refugees.
He further said that the health condition of the refugees is dire amid the spread of malaria and fiver, adding that more than five death cases are reported daily.
The diaspora community leader urged the Sudanese warring parties to listen to the voice of reason and negotiate a peace deal to end the ongoing war.
“I wish for the war in Sudan to stop. The situation is devastating, and war cannot lead to anything. Peace is never achieved through war. Those that are dying in Sudan right now and Sudanese citizens first and foremost and I hope that the warring parties could listen to the voice of reason and negotiate for peace. Sudan is for all of us, and we cannot build a country if we are still divided,” he concluded.