Fighting in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state continues to force thousands of people to flee into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and Central African Republic, the UN refugee agency UNHCR announced.
According to UNHCR, more than 14,000 South Sudanese refugees, the vast majority of them are women and children under the age of 18, have been registered in Uganda since the start of the year, while more than 11,000 people to cross into Democratic Republic of the Congo since late 2015.
In CAR, an estimated 7000 South Sudanese are living in desperate conditions in the remote settlement of Bambouti. UNHCR said it hopes to reach Bambouti next week.
“Many of the new arrivals are fleeing from Western Equatoria, often having walked for days, and are tired and hungry,” UNHCR said. They said the refugees are running from killings, rape, and forced recruitment.
Photo: South Sudanese refugees line up for food at a transit centre in Adjumani, Uganda, June 2015 (J. Matas/UNHCR)