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UN Calls for Urgent Resolution of S. Sudan Crisis

UN Calls for Urgent Resolution of S. Sudan Crisis
UN Calls for Urgent Resolution of S. Sudan Crisis

With already more than 3.5 million displaced within and outside the borders of South Sudan and thousands more driven to neighboring countries every day, the United Nations refugee agency has appealed for an urgent peaceful resolution to what has now become Africa’s worst refugee crisis.

“Recent new arrivals report suffering inside South Sudan with intense fighting, kidnappings, rape, fears of armed groups and threats to life, as well as acute food shortage,” William Spindler, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees told the media at a regular briefing in Geneva, UN News Center reported.

“More than 60% of the refugees are children, many arriving with alarming levels of malnutrition, enduring devastating impact of the brutalities of the ongoing conflict,” he added.

However, the crisis, third only to the displacements in Syria and Afghanistan and now in its fourth year, has received less attention and is plagued by chronic levels of underfunding. The number of refugees who have fled South Sudan has crossed 1.5 million.

UNHCR said that its response capacities are overstretched in the countries hosting the refugees and the lack of funds is affecting critical and life-saving efforts such as providing clean, drinking water, food, health and sanitation.

Last month, the agency revised upwards its funding requirements for 2017 to $781.8 million (some $297.9 million or 61% higher than the earlier budget) in light of new needs of those who have been displaced due to renewed fighting, increased violence and resulting food insecurity since July last year.

According to Spindler, those fleeing South Sudan are being hosted by the poorest communities in the neighboring countries, under immense pressure with scarce resources.

South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political faceoff between President Salva Kiir and his then former vice president, Riek Machar, erupted into full-blown conflict between forces loyal to each in December 2013. The crisis has produced one of the world’s worst displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.

Despite the August 2015 peace agreement that formally ended the war, conflict and instability have also spread to previously unaffected areas.

Comments

suffering continues,what is the work of the ministry of disaster and humanitarian assistants or whatever come on South Sudan.

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