2,130,075 *
Total South Sudanese refugees in the region as of 31 Oct (pre and post Dec 2013 caseload)
646,444 *
South Sudanese refugee arrivals in 2017, based on field reports as of 31 October
278,965
Refugees in South Sudan and 1.88 million IDPs as of 31 October
Regional Highlights
■ Over 11,000 South Sudanese refugees fled South Sudan into neighbouring countries during the month of October. There are now 2,130,075 South Sudanese refugees in the region, almost reaching the Regional Refugee Response Plan projection of 2,130,500 by 31 December 2017.
■ Senior UNHCR officials met with the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, in Addis Ababa in late October to appeal for support to end the crisis that has displaced two million South Sudanese inside the country and provoked the flight of a further two million into all six neighboring countries. Regional Refugee Coordinator for the South Sudanese Situation and Special Advisor to the High Commissioner, Arnauld Akodjenou and Ethiopia Country Representative, Clementine Nkweta Salami, briefed the US delegation on deliberations among humanitarian partners in Nairobi in mid-October, where partners projected a continued influx in 2018. Full press release here.
■ In South Sudan, UNHCR reinvigorated the process of accession of South Sudan to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. During the roundtable in Juba, attended by 30 members of the South Sudan Transition National Legislative Assembly, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Hon. Hussein Mar Nyuot urged parliamentarians to accelerate the ratification of this key international document.
■ In Uganda, heavy rains have disrupted the refugee response in West Nile, causing damage to infrastructure and property and adversely affecting delivery of services to refugees.
■ In Sudan, work to clear the land assigned for the new Aljame’ya refugee camp in White Nile began in October, with over 600 household plots demarcated so far, along with appropriate sites for administrative buildings and storage areas. The new camp forms an official extension of Al Waral camp and is being planned for 5,000 households to reduce overcrowding at Al Waral. A land extension project for Um Sangour camp to accommodate an additional 3,000 households is also underway. Both sites are expected to be completed by mid-January.