John Akoon
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Regional Director for Africa for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Patrick Youssef expressed concerns over the country’s deteriorating humanitarian situation as a result of the ongoing influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan.
Addressing a media in Juba on Friday after touring the ICRC project sites in Akobo and Malakal, Youssef lamented the multiple challenges faced by returnees and refugees from Sudan who are in dire need of basic needs in the country.
He said with the current escalation in the Horn of Africa, the war in Sudan and Somalia has an impact on South Sudan and regional implications on the movement of populations, trade, and economic activities.
“I would say that the war within that region has been devastating and so many have lost lives and even given a severe climate shock as it will be a rainy season in many parts of the country,” Youssef said.
“One can be only concerned with the humanitarian situation as you all know civilian populations, IDPS, and returnees from Sudan. I want to say that we remain very concerned, and I had the privilege to meet with the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, Hussein Abdelbagi, the Vice President for Service clusters, and the Humanitarian Minister,” he added.
He further narrated the grim situation how the returnees walked with bullets in their legs to escape the Sudanese, adding that there are continued killings displacing civilians as far as from Omdurman to Renk.
“These are the types of cases we have to deal with, a person has traveled from Omdurman to Kosti, from Kosti to Renk not even on the wheelchair trying to walk and there is a bone out of his leg. These are examples we see today in the field. It is an unfortunate situation we have to deal with notwithstanding that South Sudan is certainly not immune from the regional implications of the war in Sudan,” he recalled.
“They are eating wild fruits and there are heartbreaking pictures, and that is not to say that humanitarian organizations are not taking care of their need.”
“People are surviving not only on that but also on the fish and therefore we have been supporting sincerely with the fishing kits that are given to the different communities so that they can generate their income,” he added.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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