Attachments
Country Overview
Part 1: Current Situation
Sudan is home to 1.1 million refugees, including over 800,000 South Sudanese refugees, as well as a large population of Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees. In addition, an unknown number of South Sudanese have been living in Sudan, often with no clear status.
Since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in October 2018, an estimated 158,000 South Sudanese have spontaneously and independently returned from Sudan, of whom 80% had been registered refugees in Sudan. The Sudan-South Sudan border has been actively used by refugees, migrants, and South Sudanese, as well as for business and the northern half of South Sudan relies heavily on cross-border trade.
Since the start of the fighting in Khartoum on 15 April, the influx of people fleeing Sudan has increased exponentially at the multiple border points between the two countries. The authorities have identified 12 key border entry points along the Sudan-South Sudan border where humanitarian actors are setting up transit facilities to help receive arriving South Sudanese returnees, refugees, asylum seekers and third country nationals. UN and NGO partners mobilized immediately to support the authorities in assisting people in hard-to-reach areas with very limited infrastructure and where local populations are already very vulnerable.
As of 3 May 2023, more than 30,000 people had crossed the border seeking safety, 90% of them are South Sudanese nationals, most of whom had been registered as refugees in Sudan. These figures represent only those who have been identified by humanitarian actors at the border and it is likely that real numbers are higher than reported. Overall, women and girls make up 54% of new arrivals, while men and boys 46%. More than 53% of new arrivals are below the age of eighteen, while 9% of new arrivals are older than sixty.
Arrivals so far have been mostly from Khartoum, and people reach the border exhausted and without enough money to proceed to destination. Many arrivals are severely vulnerable and in need of immediate assistance. As of 3 May, the majority of arrivals were through the Juda Border Crossing Point in Upper Nile State, arriving largely from Khartoum, with much smaller numbers arriving in Northern and Western Bahr el Ghazal states, fleeing the Darfur region of Sudan.
As the fighting in Sudan continues, arrival patterns could change. In addition, a large population of third country nationals working or studying in Sudan are also affected by the conflict and are expected to cross into neighboring countries, including South Sudan, to reach their home country.
The conflict in Sudan has already impacted South Sudan’s economic outlook, particularly for northern States that are largely dependent on imports from Sudan and where the prices of basic commodities are skyrocketing. Fuel cost has spiked up to 60% within two weeks and food prices are up by more than 30% in some areas, and they are likely to increase further. With border markets not functioning and the rainy season affecting logistical movements of goods by road, humanitarian operations will require the use of airlifting and potentially waterway transportation to assist refugees, returnees, and third country nationals at borders and transit facilities.
The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management is the Government entity in charge of the assistance to returning South Sudanese citizens as well as the coordination for internally displaced populations.
The Republic of South Sudan maintains a strong tradition of providing asylum and protection. The refugee protection program is grounded in a robust Refugee Act (2012) and its 2017 Refugee Status and Eligibility Regulations, which are further complemented by the 2019 National Comprehensive Migration Policy. South Sudan currently hosts over 279,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in its territory of which 94 percent are from Sudan, with a majority of the latter (>90%) residing in 21 refugee camps or settlements in States bordering Sudan.
The Commission for Refugee Affairs (CRA) is the State entity responsible for the overall management and coordination of refugee and asylum matters and takes the lead in preparedness and regulating the refugee reception mechanisms with the support of UNHCR.