Since the escalation of the conflict in Sudan, thousands of South Sudanese refugees have been forced to leave everything behind a second time. Many of them have fled back to their country of origin. Cordaid supports this severely impacted group with various forms of assistance. Bashir James, humanitarian programme manager for Cordaid in South Sudan, fills us in on the latest.
We spoke to Bashir in May, when hundreds of South Sudanese were arriving at the border every day, in search of safety and support. Providing the refugees with all kinds of urgent necessities and transporting them to their villages, was the main preoccupation of the humanitarian workers in the region.
In the meantime, Cordaid has been raising more funds among its private donor constituency, which allowed an increase in support activities. “We have been able to do a lot”, Bashir says. “In total, we have supported 12,000 people. We have set up a mobile clinic, where we feed and vaccinate children. We also arranged temporary shelter, constructed a sustainable water system, and distributed blankets and mosquito nets.”
Examples of Cordaid’s assistance for refugees in South Sudan
1,000 households received blankets
2,000 households received buckets for collecting water
800
households received cash assistance
1,000
households received food for two months
Though he is proud of these achievements, Bashir also stresses the need for more support for people fleeing the violence in various parts of the volatile region. “In the media, it seems like the situation in Sudan has gone a bit under the radar, but unfortunately that does not mean it is improving. Since the end of August, almost 250,000 people have crossed the border from Sudan back into South Sudan.
“The longer people stay at the transit locations, the worse it will get.”
We are also seeing more refugees returning from Uganda. Since the stricter LGBTQ laws there, international donors have been reducing their funds. This results in less support for refugees residing in the country. This is turning into another crisis.”