Attachments
2,446,218* Total South Sudanese refugees in the region as of 31 Jan (pre- and post-Dec 2013 caseload)
19,064* South Sudanese refugee arrivals in January, based on field reports as of 31 January
286,256 Refugees in South Sudan and 1.9 million IDPs as of 31 Jan
KEY FIGURES *
63% of the South Sudanese refugee population are children (under the age of 18 years old)
4.63 million Total population of concern (South Sudanese refugees, South Sudanese IDPs and refugees inside South Sudan)
3,135,000 2018 Regional RRP Planning figure for the total South Sudanese refugees projected in the region by 31 December 2018.
Regional Highlights
■ In South Sudan, UNHCR resumed its assistance to refugees in Lasu Refugee Settlement for the first time since 2016. This was possible based on the establishment of UNMISS presence in Yei town. Lasu settlement is located 32 km from Yei town on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
■ During his briefing to the Security Council, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix expressed grave concern over the dire security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan as the situation remains volatile with several violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement. Lacroix stated that those violations by the parties and the continuing hostile propaganda undertaken against one another illustrate a lack of will to honor their commitments, and undermine the regional and international efforts to revitalize the peace process. He also voiced deep concern over the high level of human rights abuses and violations against civilians, mainly women and children. "The gravity of conflict-related sexual violence is deplorable and constitutes an emergency in its own right”. Read more in: https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/01/1001121
■ The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, held a consultative meeting on South Sudan with the African Union and IGAD. In his remarks, Guterres applauded the IGAD Council of Ministers and the Special Envoy for, first of all, the High Level Revitalization Forum and, second, the immediate results that were obtained with the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, protection of civilians and humanitarian access. He also called upon the political elite of South Sudan to assume their responsibilities as leaders of their own people instead of prolonging the conflict to the detriment of the enormous suffering South Sudanese people. The full speech can be found here: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2018-01-27/remarks-consultative-meeting-south-sudan-au-igad-and-un