The commissioner of Unity State’s Rubkona County has said that over 12,000 Sudanese refugees, mostly women and children, last week arrived in the county’s Riohiak Payam.
Clement Juol Dador told Radio Tamazuj Monday that the refugees were received by the state government and county authorities but that they have not yet been provided food and relief items. He said some of the refugees have been sent to the Panyier Refugee Camp in Ruweng Administrative Area where they got some food.
“The war in Sudan is affecting our state as many people from the neighboring states in Sudan have sought refuge in Unity state,” he stated. “The state government and we, the local authority, welcomed them (refugees) and relocated some of them to Panyier Refugee Camp where humanitarian organizations provided them with food.”
Commissioner Juol added that the war in Sudan and floods have negatively affected the economic situation in Unity State.
Meanwhile, Mahjub Ahmed Abakar, the chairman of the Sudanese community in Unity State confirmed the new arrival of the over 12,000 individuals from Sudan. He pointed out that the refugees experienced hardships and experienced losses on their way to South Sudan.
“As the Sudanese community in Unity State, we are aware of the losses the refugees made due the the war in Sudan,” Ahmed said. “The new refugees will be taken to Panyier Refugee Camp in Ruweng Administrative Area by the UN for settlement.”