The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, during a briefing on Tuesday, said that UN peacekeepers aided a joint visit with state authorities to assess the humanitarian situation in Boeo Medina, Raja County in Western Equatoria State.
The area neighbors Sudan and thousands of returnees and refugees fleeing the ongoing war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrive through and camp there before moving on.
“UN peacekeepers report that they facilitated a joint visit with state authorities to Boro Medina in Raja County, near Sudan’s border, to assess the security and humanitarian situation in the area where hundreds of refugees and returnees continue to arrive every day,” Dujarric said. “The Peacekeeping mission has increased its presence, including patrols, in the area.”
He added: “Just to give a little bit of context with regards to Boro Medina, this town is the first major stop for thousands of refugees and returnees crossing into Western Bahr El Ghazal state since the start of the conflict in Sudan.
According to Dujarric, currently, more than 5,000 asylum seekers and a little above 7,000 returnees have added to the strain on already scarce livelihood resources, which has led to increased tensions with the host communities in South Sudan.