1000 refugees a day arriving in Upper Nile State

16/12/2011 18:07

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported to the UN news agency IRIN at least 1000 refugees are arriving daily in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state. Fleeing conflict in Blue Nile state across the border, according to aid agencies.UNHCR, says more than 23,000 people have been registered at the Doro refugee camp, about 40km from the border with Sudan, and it is planning new sites as thousands more are expected.”We’re starting up a second site in Jammam [about 65km west of Doro] as Doro is reaching its maximum capacity [of 25,000] and maybe a third when we assess how many people are coming,” said Mireille Girard, UNHCR’s South Sudan representative. Only a few aid agencies are in Doro to tend to hundreds of refugees arriving with little or nothing, fleeing aerial bombardment in Blue Nile state, where conflict between Sudan government forces and troops formerly loyal to the south is ongoing. “I ran away from the bombs; when I heard the sound of the Antonov [bomber plane] in our village, I couldn’t even eat, I was so scared, so we ran away,” said Baabi Ombasha, 43.Ombasha said she walked and camped out for a month with other people in a large convoy, with meagre food rations. On Monday UNHCR reported since July 2011, 36,000 had registered in Ethiopia fleeing fighting from Blue Nile State. A further 20,000 arrived from South Kordofan to Beida camp in Unity State.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported to the UN news agency IRIN at least 1000 refugees are arriving daily in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state. Fleeing conflict in Blue Nile state across the border, according to aid agencies.

UNHCR, says more than 23,000 people have been registered at the Doro refugee camp, about 40km from the border with Sudan, and it is planning new sites as thousands more are expected.

“We’re starting up a second site in Jammam [about 65km west of Doro] as Doro is reaching its maximum capacity [of 25,000] and maybe a third when we assess how many people are coming,” said Mireille Girard, UNHCR’s South Sudan representative.

Only a few aid agencies are in Doro to tend to hundreds of refugees arriving with little or nothing, fleeing aerial bombardment in Blue Nile state, where conflict between Sudan government forces and troops formerly loyal to the south is ongoing.

“I ran away from the bombs; when I heard the sound of the Antonov [bomber plane] in our village, I couldn’t even eat, I was so scared, so we ran away,” said Baabi Ombasha, 43.

Ombasha said she walked and camped out for a month with other people in a large convoy, with meagre food rations.

On Monday UNHCR reported since July 2011, 36,000 had registered in Ethiopia fleeing fighting from Blue Nile State. A further 20,000 arrived from South Kordofan to Beida camp in Unity State.