Conflict in Sudan exacerbates South Sudan's refugee humanitarian crisis
- Food insecurity, the biggest scourge
- Affected economy
- Threat of flooding
- The world needs to invest in South Sudanese young people
The ongoing conflict in Sudan is exacerbating the already severe humanitarian crisis in South Sudan for refugees and the communities hosting them, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said.
The agency's first Forced Displacement Survey - conducted between April and December 2023 among some 3,100 families in South Sudan - found that refugees and host communities face similar challenges that exacerbate protection risks and limit opportunities for self-reliance.
The survey results revealed that those forced to flee to South Sudan often arrive in rural areas with limited basic services, high unemployment rates, lack of educational opportunities, poor infrastructure and overcrowded shelters.
Food insecurity, the biggest scourge
UNHCR highlighted food insecurity as the biggest scourge among these populations. Some 74 per cent of refugee families and host communities surveyed said they had experienced hunger in the previous month.
In addition, more than 40% of both groups saw their income from all sources fall from the previous year.
The violence in Sudan has pushed thousands of people, many of them South Sudanese refugees, to flee the violence by moving to South Sudan, increasing the refugee population in areas affected by sporadic inter-communal violence and overburdened services.
Affected economy
The UN agency said South Sudan's economy has been badly affected by the war in Sudan, particularly following the closure of the country's main oil pipeline.
UNHCR's representative in South Sudan, Marie-Helene Verney, noted that the war in Sudan has taken a heavy toll on the South Sudanese economy and that millions of people are already living below the poverty line in the country.
"In this context, integrating refugees is particularly challenging. This is why we need to link humanitarian assistance with stabilisation and development programmes as much as possible," Verney stressed.
Threat of flooding
UNHCR warned that in the coming weeks, record water levels in Lake Victoria and forecasts of above-average rainfall across the region threaten to exacerbate an already dire situation.
Severe and persistent flooding in previous years has severely damaged crops and agricultural land and infrastructure, affecting food production and livelihoods.
The world needs to invest in South Sudanese young people
"South Sudan is home to an overwhelmingly young population. The world needs to invest in them and give them the tools and opportunities to build a better future," Verney said, recalling that despite the challenges, the country's government has opened its doors to provide security for those fleeing war.
"But scarce resources can easily translate into tensions. Substantial long-term investments are crucial to improving the well-being of refugees and the communities that host them," he stressed.
South Sudan hosts more than 460,000 refugees, mainly from Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. Most of the refugees live in the north of the country and have been in the country for more than a decade. Since the war in Sudan began more than a year ago, South Sudan is receiving an average of 1,600 people per day, including refugees from Sudan and South Sudanese returning to a country many of them have never lived in before.