Khartoum (OCHA Press Release ) - The number of registered South Sudanese refugees who have arrived in Sudan since December 2013 now exceeds a quarter of a million and as of 15 October stands at 254,757 people (including 90,000 who arrived this year), according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). About 40 per cent of South Sudanese arrivals are hosted in White Nile State, and 22 per cent in East Darfur State.
On 8 October, a rapid inter-agency mission comprising UN agencies, international NGOs and line ministries visited El Ferdous town in East Darfur State to assess the needs of about 5,300 South Sudanese refugees from Raja town (South Sudan), waiting for their future relocation to a site in Al Nimir that will be developed soon. According to the mission, the priority needs of the refugees in El Ferdous include access to safe water, sanitation, health and nutrition services.
Hygiene promoters have been deployed to the area to raise community awareness on the dangers of open defecation. Refugees are provided with medical services at the El Ferdous clinic but the number of patients (between 70 to 90 per cent of patients per day are refugees) are putting a strain on resources, both in terms of staffing and medical supplies. Common diseases reported are skin and eye infections (hygiene-related), diarrhoeal infection, respiratory infections, suspected cases of measles and malaria.
According to reports received, about 20 elderly and 26 refugee children under the age of five have died mainly as a result of malaria and diarrhoea. Access to water remains a challenge in El Ferdous town, due to an existing water shortage in the area where the refugees are hosted. Discussions are being held in order to increase water supply in the area.
As a result of the aforementioned situation in El Ferdous and Al Nimir camp, $2.6 million from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) will be allocated in the coming weeks to support South Sudanese refugees from Raja currently residing in El Ferdous. The funding will support site development and the provision of critical life-saving assistance (emergency shelter, health, nutrition, child protection, gender based violence, general protection and WASH activities) to 10,000 refugees to be settled in the new Al Nimir site near Ed Daein, the capital of East Darfur State, and the construction of a reception centre in El Ferdous town for the new arrivals.
East Darfur hosts 61 per cent of the refugees who have arrived from South Sudan since January 2016. According to UNHCR, prior to January only about 100 South Sudanese refugees had settled in East Darfur State.