Sudan & South Sudan: UN struggles to cope with thousands of daily arrivals in transit centres in Renk

STAFF at the UN-run transit centres in Renk, South Sudan, help exhausted people to travel onwards to their final destinations in the hope of avoiding large numbers staying in this extremely remote, poorly resourced region. 

There’s hardly any water, food, sanitation, security or shelter. Many of the thousands who have crossed the border from Sudan are vulnerable and traumatised. They fled terrible violence and have spent weeks, in some cases months, trying to cross into South Sudan to reach safety. 

Since the outbreak of fighting in Sudan last April, the influx of people fleeing Sudan increased sharply at multiple border points. More than half a million have crossed the South Sudan border, according to UN estimates. 

Read more from UN News
Dated Friday, 23 February 2024 - here is a copy of the report in full:

Sudan: UN struggles to cope with thousands of daily arrivals in South Sudan transit camps

© IOM/Elijah Elaigwu. Sudanese refugees in the UN-run transit centre in Renk, South Sudan.

South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries, is dealing with the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees from its northern neighbour, Sudan, which has been in the grip of a major conflict between the government and the Rapid Support Forces since April of last year.

Since the outbreak of fighting, the influx of people fleeing Sudan has increased sharply at multiple border points, and more than half a million individuals have crossed the South Sudan border, according to UN estimates.

At the UN-run transit centres in Renk, staff are helping exhausted individuals to travel onwards to their final destinations in the hope of avoiding large numbers staying in this extremely remote, poorly resourced part of the country.

Yvonne Ndege, a spokesperson with the UN migration agency, IOM, travelled to Renk to assess the conditions in the camp. 

She described the scene to Ben Malor from UN News.

Yvonne Ndege: This is one of the most remote parts of South Sudan. There’s hardly any water, food, sanitation, security or shelter. Many of the thousands of people who have crossed the border from Sudan are vulnerable and traumatized. They fled terrible violence and have spent weeks, in some cases months, trying to cross into South Sudan to reach safety.

UN News: How is the UN helping those arriving in Renk?

Yvonne Ndege: Hundreds of thousands of people have been assisted by the UN migration agency to continue moving to other destinations. This assistance is critical because what IOM and other UN agencies don’t want is for refugee camps to spring up in this location as it is so remote. There is no infrastructure, no medical facilities or resources of any kind for those vulnerable arrivals.

This has involved IOM putting on over 1,200 flights away from Renk to Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile state. It has also involved sea transportation, and we have helped over 100,000 to take boats to Malakal, which is a three-day journey overnight on the River Nile.

We have also assisted people with some road transportation to try to reach their communities of origin, but when you look at the volume of people arriving, this assistance is not enough, and the funds to continue to provide this onward transport assistance are dwindling and running out fast.

© IOM/Elijah Elaigwu. Sudanese refugees in the UN-run transit centre in Renk, South Sudan.

UN News: What have the displaced people been telling you about their experiences?

Yvonne Ndege: The conditions that they describe are completely horrific. Some say they fled violence and bullets, spending several days in the bush trying to reach the border. Others say they experienced sexual violence along the journey. We spoke to one family, a mother with her two daughters and her own mother, who travelled all the way from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to reach this border and cross into safety. She was very traumatized and upset. We spoke to another man, who said that his whole family, he and his sons, were being forced to actually join the fighting and take part in the violence. They didn’t want to, so they spent weeks trying to get here.

UN News: How serious are the risks of disease or hunger?

Yvonne Ndege: IOM staff have been providing medical checks and vaccinations to those arriving before they are transported to the main town of Renk for further assistance and care, but there are massive concerns about the risk of disease, hunger and further violence. There’s hardly any infrastructure in this remote area, no internet or mobile network of any kind and no food or water supplies. So, the risks are real.

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View original here: https://news.un.org/en/interview/2024/02/1146907

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South Sudan: IOM, UNHCR concerned about risks relocating refugees & returnees from border areas

“This tragic and senseless incident puts into question our entire strategy to relocate refugees arriving in South Sudan through Abyei to a safe location in Wedweil, where we opened a new settlement to receive refugees fleeing the Sudan crisis,” said Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR Country Representative, who is also currently serving as the acting Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan. Read more.

From Radio Tamazuj
Dated Friday, 15 December 2023 - here is a copy in full:

IOM, UNHCR concerned about risks in relocating refugees and returnees from border areas

Returnees and refugees from Sudan in Renk, Upper Nile State. (File photo)

(JUBA CITY) - Two separate incidents have brought to the forefront the major challenges humanitarian agencies are facing in South Sudan, a joint IOM and UNHCR statement said earlier in the week.

In the first incident, two refugees were tragically killed in an attack against a convoy organized by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) transporting Sudanese refugees from Abyei to the Wedweil refugee settlement. On the same day, a boat facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) began taking on water due to high winds and rough water – all on board were moved to different boats and proceeded safely to Malakal.

According to the UN agencies, the two incidents highlight the considerable challenges that humanitarian partners are facing trying to help refugees and South Sudanese who are fleeing the fighting in Sudan to reach safety.

The boat began taking on water on Wednesday morning as it was attempting to leave the port of Kodok, in Upper Nile State. Local authorities and humanitarian partners immediately launched a rescue operation and all on board are now accounted for and safe, the joint statement said.

Since the start of the Sudan crisis in April, IOM has moved more than 105,000 people out of Renk by river and another 59,000 by plane to their final destinations across the country.

“Transport by river remains the only viable option to move returning South Sudanese arriving through the Joda Border Crossing Point to Malakal, and from there to their final destination,” said John McCue, IOM Chief of Mission in South Sudan. “The risks and challenges are huge but keeping people in Renk is not an option as reception sites are overcrowded and provision of basic services is stretched to breaking point.”

In the other incident, two refugees were abducted on Wednesday morning as they were crossing Twic County, Warrap State on their way from Abyei to the refugee settlement of Wedweil, near Aweil in Northern Bahr-e-Ghazal State onboard a UNHCR convoy. The vehicle carrying the two refugees was surrounded by armed youth who forced all onboard to alight and abducted two men, one 21-year-old, and the other - 62, both from Sudan’s Blue Nile State. Local authorities later reported that both of them had been found dead. The rest of the convoy made its way safely to Wedweil.

“This tragic and senseless incident puts into question our entire strategy to relocate refugees arriving in South Sudan through Abyei to a safe location in Wedweil, where we opened a new settlement to receive refugees fleeing the Sudan crisis,” said Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR Country Representative, who is also currently serving as the acting Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan.

“Humanitarian partners have taken the lion's share of the immensely challenging job of moving people in distress who arrived at the South Sudan border fleeing for safety, however, the responsibility of ensuring that returnees, refugees, and humanitarian workers are safe lies firmly with the South Sudan’s Government” she added.

Both agencies called for renewed efforts from the Government to facilitate transportation of refugees and returnees to safe locations.

According to the UN, more than 438,000 people have arrived in South Sudan to escape the conflict in Sudan since April, of which 365,000 South Sudanese and 71,000 refugees. More than 24,000 refugees are stuck in Renk to the refugee camps in Maban County, Upper Nile State due to the current conditions. The road from Maban to Renk has been destroyed by the rains and while UNHCR is currently working on repairs, it has been requesting that the relevant ministries, as well as the private sector, take their share of the works.

 

View original:

https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/iom-unhcr-concerned-about-risks-in-relocating-refugees-and-returnees-from-border-areas

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S. Sudan: Deployed unified forces arrive in Malakal

Report at Radio Tamazuj, Juba 

Dated Sunday, 26 November 2023 - here is a full copy:

Deployed unified forces arrive in Malakal

Soldiers belonging to the Unified Forces sit on the ground during a deployment ceremony at the Luri Military Training Centre in Juba on November 15, 2023. (PETER LOUIS GUME/AFP)

A cohesive force of 750 individuals, comprising soldiers from the signatories to the 2018 peace agreement – namely, SSPDF, SPLA-IO, and SSOA – arrived unarmed in Malakal, Upper Nile state, on Wednesday. They were dispatched from the capital, Juba.

Confirming the arrival of the first deployed battalion in Malakal, SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel told Sudans Post that the unified peace forces, deployed to Upper Nile state last week, reached the state capital on Wednesday morning.

Col. Lam pointed out that the forces await directives from the unified army command in Juba. He warned that any delay in deploying them to designated areas might pose significant challenges.

 “They are already in Upper Nile. They reached Malakal on Wednesday morning. We are waiting for further directives from the CDF [Chief of Defense Forces] and the leadership in Juba,” he said. “We wait for the committee to be able to come to the command [headquarters] in Juba, and then they let us know what to do.”

Estimating that directives would arrive within a week, Col. Lam cautioned that prolonged stay in Malakal could exacerbate challenges. He explained, “I believe it will never take long because the longer they take in one place, the more challenges could start facing them.”

He outlined serious conditions, including operation costs, arming soldiers, and ensuring food availability for deployment, especially considering the accessibility challenges in Upper Nile state.

Col. Lam disclosed that Juba expects additional forces from Unity State, Upper Nile, and Bahr el Ghazal to arrive soon before deployment. “There is also ready 150 soldiers in the Muom Training Center of Leer County in Unity State. They started their journey to Juba on Tuesday, having left Panyijiar County. They were transported to Juba, and we also have another group in Bahr el Ghazal, with an additional group in the Upper Nile region that will be in Juba within the next week.”

Hundreds of unified forces were deployed at a long-overdue ceremony on 15 November, marking progress for the country's lumbering peace process.

The unification of forces was a key condition of the 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year conflict in which nearly 400,000 people died.

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/deployed-unified-forces-arrive-in-malakal

END

Correction: UNISFA says no peacekeeper killed

Report at Radio Tamazuj - radiotamazuj.org/en
Dated Tuesday, 21 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

UNISFA condemns Abyei attacks, says no peacekeeper was killed

UNISFA’s Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr. (UN photo)

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) on Monday strongly condemned Sunday’s attacks by a group of armed youths on villages in the area around Angath, Wunpeth, and Korioch in the Abyei.

The attacks resulted in an estimated 27 people killed and 14 injured.

In a statement, UNISFA however clarified that they did not lose any peacekeepers during the fighting. 

On Sunday evening, Abyei Information Minister Bulis Koch told Radio Tamazuj that a Ghanaian peacekeeper with UNISFA was among those killed in the ensuing fighting.

“Contrary to inaccurate information published in media and other reports, no UNISFA peacekeepers were killed or wounded during the incident,” the UNISFA statement illuminated.

According to the UN Force, in responding to the attacks, their peacekeepers moved rapidly to enhance security in the affected area by intensifying patrols and closely monitoring the situation.

“UNISFA leadership is also engaging with the Abyei Area Administration and Ngok Dinka traditional leaderships as well as stakeholders in Juba to ensure peace and security is maintained in the Abyei area,” the statement read in part. “UNISFA’s 

Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr, reiterates the mission’s commitment to protecting civilians and calls on all communities to refrain from violence and commit to ensuring sustainable peace in Abyei.”

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/unisfa-condemns-abyei-attacks-says-no-peacekeeper-was-killed

__________________________________

SEE UPDATE by Sudan Watch Editor Wed 22 Nov 2023 added to:

Sudan Watch - November 20, 2023

UN peacekeeper among 32 killed in attack in Abyei

From BBC News

By Richard Hamilton

BBC World Service Newsroom 

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/11/un-peacekeeper-among-32-killed-in.html

[Ends]

UN peacekeeper among 32 killed in attack in Abyei

From BBC News dated 04:37 20 Nov 2023
By Richard Hamilton
BBC World Service Newsroom - here is a copy in full:

UN peacekeeper among 32 killed in Sudan clashes

AFP Copyright: AFP Image caption: The UN has extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in Abyei

The Sudanese authorities in the disputed area of Abyei say at least 32 people have been killed after gunmen stormed local villages.

The Information Minister for Abyei, Bolis Kuoch, said more than 20 others were wounded when men opened fire on Sunday morning.

He said UN peacekeepers intervened to stop the violence but one of the peacekeepers was killed.

There have been ongoing hostilities between communities in Abyei over land and resources.

The region, rich in oil reserves, lies on the border between Sudan and South Sudan and is considered to be part of both countries, since a peace agreement was signed in 2005.

Last week the UN Security Council extended the mandate of its peacekeeping mission there for one more year.

Click here to view original. 

___________________________

POSTSCRIPT from Sudan Watch Editor

Note that any attack on peacekeepers constitutes a war crime. See UNISFA (United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei) Factsheet and map. Malakal in northern Upper Nile State, which has received huge numbers of South Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan, is where South Sudan deployed its first unified forces last Wednesday, unarmed. Also, 100 returnees in Unity State have headed back to transit camps near South Sudan-Sudan border citing hunger. Many have gone back to Sudan through Renk County in Upper Nile State and the Unity Oilfield road of Unity State.

Map of Abyei Area located on the border of Sudan and South Sudan, and Malakal in northern Upper Nile State, South Sudan. 

(Map courtesy Wikipedia)

______________________________

UPDATE from Sudan Watch Editor Wed 22 Nov 2023 12:27 GMT: 

The following report is surprising, especially considering the above report is from the BBC by Richard Hamilton. I'm always cautious when chronicling news. If in doubt, I wait to verify or leave it. In 20+ years of following the BBC's reports on Sudan and South Sudan, its news is rarely wrong.

This report says UNISFA in a statement clarified that they did not lose any peacekeepers during the fighting. “Contrary to inaccurate information published in media and other reports, no UNISFA peacekeepers were killed or wounded during the incident”. UNISFA says the attacks by a group of armed youths resulted in an estimated 27 people killed and 14 injured.

Report at Radio Tamazuj 

Dated Tuesday, 21 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

UNISFA condemns Abyei attacks, says no peacekeeper was killed

UNISFA’s Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr. (UN photo)

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) on Monday strongly condemned Sunday’s attacks by a group of armed youths on villages in the area around Angath, Wunpeth, and Korioch in the Abyei.

The attacks resulted in an estimated 27 people killed and 14 injured.

In a statement, UNISFA however clarified that they did not lose any peacekeepers during the fighting. 

On Sunday evening, Abyei Information Minister Bulis Koch told Radio Tamazuj that a Ghanaian peacekeeper with UNISFA was among those killed in the ensuing fighting.

“Contrary to inaccurate information published in media and other reports, no UNISFA peacekeepers were killed or wounded during the incident,” the UNISFA statement illuminated.

According to the UN Force, in responding to the attacks, their peacekeepers moved rapidly to enhance security in the affected area by intensifying patrols and closely monitoring the situation.

“UNISFA leadership is also engaging with the Abyei Area Administration and Ngok Dinka traditional leaderships as well as stakeholders in Juba to ensure peace and security is maintained in the Abyei area,” the statement read in part. “UNISFA’s 

Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr, reiterates the mission’s commitment to protecting civilians and calls on all communities to refrain from violence and commit to ensuring sustainable peace in Abyei.”

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/unisfa-condemns-abyei-attacks-says-no-peacekeeper-was-killed

______________________________

Related report

Sudan Watch - November 22, 2023

Correction: UNISFA says no peacekeeper killed

UNISFA condemns Abyei attacks, says no peacekeeper was killed

Full story: https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/11/correction-unisfa-says-no-peacekeeper.html

[Ends]