A new report from Refugees International (RI), “Getting it Right: Protection of South Sudanese Refugees in Uganda”, urges the international community to provide greater assistance to refugees – especially women and girls – and their hosts in Uganda.
“South Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is spinning out of control and the international community must bring this conflict to an end as a matter of urgency,” said Michael Boyce, an RI advocate.
“But they also must not forget the millions of civilians who have been displaced. More international aid is urgently needed to save lives, and to show solidarity with nations like Uganda that are generously hosting refugees,” Boyce added.
On February 10, UNHCR Spokesperson William Spindler said: “UNHCR is extremely alarmed at the ongoing pace of displacement in South Sudan.”
The majority, 47.6 percent of South Sudanese refugees are being hosted by Uganda. The total number of refugees from South Sudan stands at 1.57 million as of February 15, according to UNHCR.
Of the South Sudanese refugees registered through December 2016, 86 percent are women and children fleeing war, hunger, and appalling acts of gender-based violence.
“Despite the multiple international commitments to end the scourge of sexual violence in conflict, we are yet again seeing the use of rape and other forms of violence against women fleeing South Sudan,” said Francisca Vigaud-Walsh, senior advocate for women and girls at RI.
Photo: A convoy carries 3,000 newly arrived South Sudanese refugees to Palorinya settlement in northern Uganda. (© UNHCR/Catherine Wachiaya)
