The African Union (AU) delegation to South Sudan concluded its humanitarian assessment on Friday and reiterated support for refugees.
After a week of assessing humanitarian situation of the refugees in areas of Renk, Maban, Aweil and Gorom, the delegation concluded with a meeting with the Commission of Refugee Affairs and humanitarian partners.
Ambassador Churchill Ewumbue-Monono, Cameroon’s permanent representative to the African Union, who led the team to South Sudan, told journalists on Friday that the assessment symbolizes solidarity with South Sudan as more refugees arrive from Sudan.
“This is more than just an assessment; it’s about action. We’re shifting from policy to tangible support,” Ewumbue-Mononosaid.
“We donated $500,000 for classroom construction in Goromand provided food and non-food items to refugee communities.” He added
The ambassador acknowledged that after days of touring therefugee centers across South Sudan, there is a need for urgent support as the numbers continue to increase.
The South Sudan Refugee Commission has recorded over 600,000 refugees in the country, a number that has overwhelmed the available government effort, hence the need for support.
These numbers continue to increase as the conflict in Sudan that started in April 2023 continues to persist despite peace efforts.
Ambassador Ewumbue-Monono revealed that the delegation has noticed the impact of aid cuts that have paralysed the partners who were helping the refugees and the returnees.
In response to such a funding gap, the delegation reiterated AU support to mobilize funds from the region and friends of South Sudan toward helping the refugees.
“After we assessed the areas where refugees are in South Sudan, we realized that the funding cut has an impact, and as the AU, we shall support as well as mobilize Friends of South Sudan to support,” he said.
John Dabi, deputy commissioner for refugee affairs in South Sudan, appreciated the AU and friends of South Sudan for the continued support amidst the refugee crisis.
“We appreciate AU and all our partners. The number of refugees who have crossed from Sudan since the outbreak of war is huge, and we appreciate those who have been donating and helping us in any way.”
He confirmed that South Sudan hosts over 600,000 refugees while it continues to register more arrivals due to ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The commissioner reaffirmed the South Sudan government’s support toward refugee affairs despite the ongoing economic crisis.
Besides efforts to better the lives of refugees in South Sudan, the commissioner outlined challenges such as shortages of food, medication, and shelters, among others.
He urged the AU to double efforts in responding to the refugee crisis in South Sudan.
