The number of people crossing from South Sudan into Sudan has dropped since the ceasefire was signed nearly two weeks ago. Registration workers in border states of Sudan reported fewer new arrivals last week.
According to a situation report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) dated 2 February, the ceasefire “caused a huge reduction in the number of people crossing the borders in the last seven days.”
“Population movements from South Sudan to Sudan have reduced dramatically in the areas covered by IOM tracking teams. Less than 100 persons were registered last week,” reported IOM.
Overall, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has estimated that more than 25,000 people arrived to Sudan since the start of the conflict six weeks ago in Juba, with most new arrivals coming first to White Nile State.
Before last week, the aid agency IOM was registering on average 1,300 people per week crossing from South Sudan, while others went unregistered, but the figure for the lasted week dropped to only 91 persons.
Those who came last week included 13 families composed of 81 people who crossed from Kaka County in Upper Nile State to Giraid area in Abu Jubeiha arrived in Alleri West in South Kordofan State, having come first to Joda.
Since the start of the conflict IOM has registered 3,390 people in South Kordofan and 117 in East Darfur State. They have also registered 2,496 people in the disputed territory of Abyei. IOM stated that these figures are based on the latest available data from 26 January.
Meanwhile, the UN has asked for access to new sites where South Sudanese fleeing the violence in South Sudan are being settled. Two top officials of the UN said Monday they are concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions at sites to which UNHCR and other UN Agencies have had limited access so far.
Ali Al-Za’tari, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, and the Representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Sudan, Angela Li Rosi, gave a statement calling on the government to facilitate sustained direct access to them “providing protection and badly needed humanitarian assistance to the new arrivals.”
They welcome however the announcement by the Government of Sudan that the new arrivals will be granted “special privileges.” At the same time they encouraged the Government of Sudan to further clarify the nature of protection it will extend and the modalities for granting such protection.
Photo: South Sudanese refugees wait at a border gate in Joda, in the Jeblein locality in Sudan’s White Nile State, after arriving from Malakal and Renk, 16 January 2014 (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Full report: IOM Sudan Situation Report on the Population Movements into Sudan (2 Feb.)