The Plight of Refugees

Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have fled into neighbouring Sudan to escape famine and conflict ravaging their country. 

• An increasing number of refugees are seeking protection in Sudan, a majority of them are South Sudanese driven out by conflict and famine back home.

• According to the situation update of the South Sudan refugees in Sudan by UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) May 2017, as a result of renewed conflict and high levels of food insecurity in South Sudan, more than 137,000 South Sudanese refugees had arrived into Sudan since the beginning of 2017.

• According to the UN Refugee Agency, there are currently over 400,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan since the start of the conflict in December 2013.

• UNHCR reports that an estimated 9,000 South Sudanese refugees arrived in East Darfur and South Darfur states in the first two weeks of May.

• Resources continue to be depleted due to the huge influx of South Sudanese refugees causing a strain on the already overstretched resources.

•  Without availability of funding, most projects are at risk of not continuing, a situation that will impact access to essential services by the affected community, a majority of who are women and children.

World Vision response plans

•  World Vision Sudan and the Government just concluded a multi sectoral humanitarian needs assessment in East Darfur-one of the states in Sudan that hosts the greatest number of refugees estimated at 105,411 as at June.

• The assessments show that the influx of South Sudanese refugees has created additional pressure on the already deteriorating host community resources such as water and sanitation facilities, health centres and education spaces.

• World Vision is holding consultative meetings with government and partners on appropriate response while also actively seeking funding to respond to the South Sudan refugee crisis in East Darfur by targeting all affected people i.e. refugees, Internally Displaced Persons and the host communities whose livelihoods continue to be impacted by the influx of refugees.

• The Government has also opened up humanitarian corridors for the passage and entry of refugees into Sudan as well as reactivated the mandate of the Commission of Refugees (CoR) to specifically handle matters of the refugees.

Central African Republic refugees

• Currently World Vision is also supporting refugees from the Central African Republic also affected by conflict. Through funding from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) World Vision is responding to the refugees settled in Nyala town (the capital of South Darfur).

• The refugee community has no means of livelihoods and mainly depend on the humanitarian assistance, therefore support in livelihoods helps boost their ability to generate income.

• More than 1,500 refugees are receiving support in the form of life and skills training and support with start up income generating kits to enable the refugees who cannot work to earn an income, and have a source of income to support their families.