About 380,000 People Have Crossed into South Sudan Since the Start of Sudanese Conflict – UN

By Xinhua 

November 22, 2023

85,400 refugees have entered Ethiopia from conflict-torn Sudan.

Since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan on April 15, a total of 386,973 people have crossed into South Sudan, with 83 percent being South Sudanese nationals, the United Nations humanitarian agency said Wednesday.

In its latest report released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that among the arrivals, half are women and children under 18 years of age, while Sudanese refugees constitute only 16 percent of the influx.

Border monitoring teams noted a 16 percent reduction in Sudanese refugee asylum seekers over the past two weeks, down from over 3,056 between the Nov. 2-8 period to 2,557 between the Nov. 9-15 period, according to the UN agency.

The decrease in the number of Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers arriving at Wunthow/Joda in recent weeks is partly attributed to the biometric registration, preventing double counting of arrivals, the OCHA said.

The report mentioned that most arrivals are utilizing 22 monitored entry points, with humanitarian organizations facilitating onward transportation assistance. Specifically, they are supporting 7,000 to 10,000 people weekly from Wuthnow/Joda to Renk by bus, 3,100 weekly from Renk to Malakal by boat, and 2,000 weekly by air from Malakal to various locations across the country.

The OCHA said that the ongoing conflict in Sudan and current challenges such as flooding, inter-communal violence, and criminality in South Sudan have disrupted supply lines, resulting in steady price increases and reduced access to basic commodities for returnees and host communities.