South Sudanese face hunger as they flee fighting in Sudan: UN

By Awan Achiek

A hunger crisis is facing South Sudanese returning to their country after fleeing the fighting in neighboring Sudan, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“According to WFP’s recent assessment, 90 percent of returnee families are experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity. Screening data from the border crossings revealed that almost 20 per cent of children under age 5 and more than a quarter of pregnant and lactating women (PLW) are malnourished,” OCHA said in a statement issued in Juba on Wednesday.

It said majority of people who fled the fighting and crossed the border into South Sudan are South Sudanese who return to a country already facing unprecedented humanitarian needs.

OCHA said the proportion of refugees among new arrivals from Sudan is increasing, with Sudanese refugees accounting for 45 per cent of new arrivals in October compared to 7 per cent between April and September.

It noted that as of 26 October, some 43,439 refugees and asylum-seekers have sought asylum in South Sudan, of which 54 per cent have been biometrically registered.

It disclosed over 39,000 refugees and asylum seekers have been transported from border locations as of October 22 2023, adding more than 13,224 refugees and asylum-seekers are in Renk awaiting transportation to Maban.

Since fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April, more than 350,000 South Sudanese returned home, according to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

The war in Sudan involving the Sudan Armed Forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has left nearly 7,500 dead.

The conflict has displaced more than five million people, including 2.8 million who fled the capital Khartoum, the scene of incessant airstrikes, artillery fire and street fighting.