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Route to Yida still crowded with refugees from Nuba Mountains

Hundreds of refugees from Nuba Mountains are still continuously fleeing toward Yida refugee camp, with routes between South Kordofan and South Sudan still congested with people seeking refuge, most of them women and children under the age of 17 years. Originating from areas under SPLM-North control, many are at waiting stations along the road passing through the localities of Regifi, Abu Leila of Um Dorein locality and Dar of Buram locality. There is also reported to be overcrowding at Jau on the border, with many women and children looking for vehicles to transport them. Many of these travelers are suffering greatly from hunger, thirst and diseases. SPLM-N authorities have exerted some efforts to transport these refugees using military and civilian vehicles up to Yida camp, but these efforts were inadequate due to the large number of citizens along the Jau-Yida road. Women and children are noted to be suffering the most since they carry with them much luggage, while most of the youth travelers are riding bicycles or find means of vehicular transportation. Authorities on the roads are reported to be preventing refugees from travelling by night for safety reasons, but citizens insist on traveling throughout the night because of the cooler conditions. Some women along the route told Radio Tamazuj that the reason for their travel at this time was to get food at the camp, after which they intended to return to where their relatives stay in the Nuba Mountains rearing cattle or cultivating. Although the exodus has continued uninterrupted, the rate of new arrivals at Yida camp has reduced somewhat compared to earlier in the year. “Registration trends in Yida have been decreasing for the past three week, down from an average of between 300-400 a day in January and February,” the UN Refugee Agency reported in an update dated 10 March. Last week the agency registered 830 new arrivals registered, with the camp population reaching 69,843 by 10 March. For the week ended 3 March, UNHCR registered 940 new arrivals, with the majority from Um Dorein and Heiban counties, followed by Buram. Photo: Travelers at Regifi in the Moro Hills, South Kordofan State, 13 March 2013 (Radio Tamazuj)

March 15, 2013 REGIFI

Hundreds of refugees from Nuba Mountains are still continuously fleeing toward Yida refugee camp, with routes between South Kordofan and South Sudan still congested with people seeking refuge, most of them women and children under the age of 17 years.

Originating from areas under SPLM-North control, many are at waiting stations along the road passing through the localities of Regifi, Abu Leila of Um Dorein locality and Dar of Buram locality. There is also reported to be overcrowding at Jau on the border, with many women and children looking for vehicles to transport them.

Many of these travelers are suffering greatly from hunger, thirst and diseases. SPLM-N authorities have exerted some efforts to transport these refugees using military and civilian vehicles up to Yida camp, but these efforts were inadequate due to the large number of citizens along the Jau-Yida road.

Women and children are noted to be suffering the most since they carry with them much luggage, while most of the youth travelers are riding bicycles or find means of vehicular transportation.

Authorities on the roads are reported to be preventing refugees from travelling by night for safety reasons, but citizens insist on traveling throughout the night because of the cooler conditions.

Some women along the route told Radio Tamazuj that the reason for their travel at this time was to get food at the camp, after which they intended to return to where their relatives stay in the Nuba Mountains rearing cattle or cultivating.

Although the exodus has continued uninterrupted, the rate of new arrivals at Yida camp has reduced somewhat compared to earlier in the year. “Registration trends in Yida have been decreasing for the past three week, down from an average of between 300-400 a day in January and February,” the UN Refugee Agency reported in an update dated 10 March.

Last week the agency registered 830 new arrivals registered, with the camp population reaching 69,843 by 10 March. For the week ended 3 March, UNHCR registered 940 new arrivals, with the majority from Um Dorein and Heiban counties, followed by Buram. 

Photo: Travelers at Regifi in the Moro Hills, South Kordofan State, 13 March 2013 (Radio Tamazuj)