The deputy governor of Sudan’s East Darfur State, Mohamed Al Hassan Al Beirag, said the number of South Sudanese citizens fleeing to his state is rising, adding that this requires more basic services.

Al Beirag pointed out in an interview with Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the influx of South Sudanese refugees is still continuing. He further said the number of South Sudanese refugees has reached 84,000 people in the state.

 He revealed that two refugee camps have already been established in Kario and Al Nimir area. The Sudanese official noted that the two camps accommodated the South Sudanese refugees, saying some NGOs came and helped them with food and other services.

“We are still a new state and our income is limited, but despite all these, we are able to provide some services to our brothers and sisters from South Sudan,” he said.

“We have opened two camps for them. One is located about 30 kilometers south of Ad Daein for the Dinka tribe and another camp for the Fertit tribe from Raja, they are being accommodated in an area called Al Nimir which is located about 20 kilometers west of Ad Daein. There are other people who are still living in the town,” he added.

For his part, Kembe Jeremiah Abraham, humanitarian attaché at the South Sudanese embassy in Khartoum, admitted that the influx of South Sudanese refugees who come from Unity and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states is still continuing.

“The influx has been continuing since last year, especially people from Unity state and now there people arriving from Aweil in Northern Bahr al Ghazal, so the number could reach 60,000 people,” he said.

Photo: South Sudanese refugees from Northern Bahr Ghazal in East Darfur/UN