The United Nations and humanitarian agencies, on Thursday, appealed for $96 million to assist people fleeing conflict in Sudan across the border into South Sudan.
Peter Van der Auweraert, Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim in South Sudan, said more than 32,500 people, have crossed into South Sudan since the Sudan conflict started on April 15.
“The majority of those arriving, often without belongings and traumatised, are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
“They need medical and psychosocial support and transportation to their destination,” Auweraert said in a joint statement issued by UN and humanitarian agencies in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
The statement says $39.9 million of the total funding required will go to assist returning South Sudanese at the border as they move onward to their communities.
Also, $53.9 million is needed to provide basic services to refugees in designated camps for six months.
In addition, a further $2.2 million is required to support third-country nationals with transportation assistance.
Auweraert said the fund raising will help speed up the provision of rapid assistance to those arriving.
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Accordoing to him, UN is soliciting for the money under the Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
He also noted that the funds will support the South Sudan Government’s efforts to help people move from the border, quickly to avoid remaining in unsafe areas.
The coordinator said exact number of daily arrivals into South Sudan could be higher as some entered without registration.
They estimated daily arrivals to be around 3,500 individuals.
More than 90 per cent of those, who are arriving at the Joda border crossing point, are South Sudanese.
They have spent days on the road from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
The other nationals include Sudanese seeking asylum, Eritrean refugees, Kenyan and Somali migrants and other third-country nationals.
“A potential 180,000 South Sudanese are likely to return in the next three months while 10,000 third-country nationals are expected to transit through South Sudan.
“Another 60,000 refugees will arrive in the next six months if the conflict and tensions persist,” Auweraert said. (Xinhua)
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