December 11, Nairobi — More than 20,000 crossed from Sudan into South Sudan last week, with the number of daily arrivals tripling compared to previous weeks. The majority of those displaced are women and children.
The United Nations issued an alert on the surge on Tuesday. UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado said they were fearful “of how the situation can evolve in the next few days.”
“Our teams are on the ground – UNHCR and partners – but of course, the situation is extremely worrying in terms of humanitarian assistance,” Sarrado said. Since Saturday there have been up to 10,000 new arrivals every day.
The UN reported people arriving at the main border crossing at Joda but also at informal crossing points which are extremely difficult to access. This includes South Sudanese refugees who have been leaving camps in Sudan’s White Nile State as fighting rages between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). All are in need of live-saving humanitarian support, with water and health care being the most urgent needs.
The UN also said that military activity and heightened tension at the Joda border is “deeply concerning” as it serves as a vital lifeline for civilians fleeing violence. Of the 900,000 people who have crossed into South Sudan since the start of the conflict, more than 700,000 have used this crossing.