The estimated total of South Sudanese who fled to Sudan since fighting erupted in the South in mid-December 2013 has risen to over 130,000 with an influx of about 1,500 during the last week.

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported from its Khartoum office today that South Sudanese refugees continue to enter Sudan from South Sudan’s Upper Nile State through the Joda, El Kuek and Megenis border points in White Nile State.

“Over the past week, some 1,500 newly arrived South Sudanese have been recorded in White Nile State, mostly entering through El Kuek border crossing,” the UN agency reported.

In total the UN Refugee Agency estimates there were about 130,840 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Sudan since December 2013, as of 10 April 2015, according to UNHCR.

“The new arrivals will stay in reception centres at El Kuek/Joda for a short period before being moved directly to the camps. The average rate of arrival through the Joda border point is 45-50 persons per day, half of whom move on to Al Alagaya and Dabat Bosin camps,” OCHA noted.

The remaining refugees move to various cities within Sudan.

Besides the roughly 130,000 South Sudanese who arrived in Sudan since December 2013, many more have been living there since before that date. A recent refugee registration exercise in Khartoum State carried out by the Sudanese Directorate of Passports and Immigration (IPP) in Khartoum recorded 123,028 South Sudanese nationals in the state. Only 33,183 of these arrived post-December 2013, according to an infographic published by OCHA.

The OCHA Sudan Humanitarian Bulletin covering the period of 6-12 April was published today.

Map: South Sudanese refugees in Sudan (arriving 15 December 2013 – 8 April 2015)