The commissioner of Raja County in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal State has confirmed that 5,600 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Rigi Payam in the Boro-Madina area in the last two months.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj over the weekend in Raja town, Addison Arkangelo Musa said the humanitarian situation of refugees is precarious.
“We received them (refugees) mostly two to three months ago from Sudan and their total number is 5,600 but the number keeps increasing on a daily base,” he said.
The commissioner revealed that the statistics were gathered based on the valuation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other aid organizations, and the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC).
Musa said the county is now expecting more arrivals due to the ongoing war in Sudan’s Darfur region.
“We are expecting more of our brothers from Sudan to come. Due to war in Sudan, Raja continues seeing an influx and this will increase the population in Boro-Madina and based on this, we need more help in terms of services like health centers,” he said. “Currently, we have not received support from the humanitarian agencies because they are still in the process of carrying out assessments through registration of the refugees.”
According to Musa, the local administration has provided land for the refugees to settle.
“I am urging all the national and international organizations to come to Raja County and assist our citizens and refugees in Boro-Madina and other parts of the county,” he added.
The commissioner also urged authorities in Sudan to open up corridors for those fleeing violence
“I am urging the Sudanese government to allow all citizens to move freely to South Sudan,” he said.
The commissioner also called on the inhabitants of border areas to assist and protect the fleeing venerable people from Sudan to the South.
For his part, the state’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) chairperson, Barhsam Musa Ayaga, said that although they have not received any help, they are hopeful and will continue to assist the needy population.
“For the refugees who are coming from Sudan, we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance whenever we get it,” he stated. “When I went there, I saw a lot of challenges including lack of shelter, water, and food and children are suffering from malnutrition. Also, pregnant women are suffering and need help.”
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