UN Proposes its Support to S. Sudanese Refugees in Sudan

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United Nations officials in Sudan praised the humanitarian efforts exerted by the local authorities to shelter and feed South Sudanese refugees and offered to support its work, as they are not directly involved in the relief operation.
Since the beginning of the armed conflict in South Sudan last December, Sudan said ready to receive South Sudanese refugees and expressed willingness to provide them with the needed humanitarian support, before they move to settle in its different regions without restriction.
However Sudanese officials said they will not allow to establish refugees camps, saying they learnt from Darfur experience that such sites can be easily transformed into basis of political activities. In addition, only local aid groups are allowed to manage transitional camps in the border states.
In a joint statement on Monday, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, Ali Al-Zaatari and the head of UN refugees agency UNHCR in Sudan, Angela Li Rosi welcoming the "commitment of the Government of Sudan to provide international protection and humanitarian assistance to South Sudanese".
The UN officials however expressed their concern over reports of "rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions" in the different sites and offered to provide the needed support to the South Sudanese refugees.
"UNHCR and other UN Agencies stand ready to support the Government of Sudan and national organizations in providing protection and badly needed humanitarian assistance to the new arrivals and call on the Government of Sudan to facilitate sustained direct access to them".
Citing humanitarian agencies, UN OCHA said in its last weekly bulletin that, about 22,200 South Sudanese nationals crossed into the neighbouring Sudan. It also said 2,500 reached Abyei area.
Sudanese government set up a committee chaired by the Commission of Refugees (COR), to manage and coordinate assistance to those who flee the armed conflict in South Sudan. The Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) as well as other government agencies are members of this body.
The UNHCR provided 1,000 non-food supply kits, 400 for White Nile State and 600 for Heglig in West Kordofan State. This material is distributed by the SRCS which in addition has dispatched 1,000 non-food items and 200 tents from its own stocks to White Nile.
The Red Crescent, on the other hand, deployed a set of equipment to provide clean water - to a reception centre in Joda area in the White Nile. In addition, they have distributed food donated by the HAC to the affected families in the same area.

 

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Ethnic massacre sparks call for UN inquiry...

U.N. Security Council asks for inquiry into South Sudan massacre
Thu Apr 24, 2014 - The United Nations Security Council asked for an urgent investigation on Thursday into the ethnic massacre of hundreds of people in South Sudan's oil hub Bentiu and expressed its willingness to "take additional measures" if there are more attacks on civilians.

The 15-member council said in a statement it wants U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for human rights Ivan Simonovic to return to South Sudan as soon as possible to assess the recent escalation in violence. More than 1 million people have fled their homes and thousands of people have been killed since fighting erupted in December between troops backing President Salva Kiir and soldiers loyal to his sacked deputy, Riek Machar. The fighting has exacerbated ethnic tensions between Kiir's Dinka people and Machar's Nuer. Negotiations between the Kiir government and rebels loyal to Machar have failed to advance since the January 23 signing of a ceasefire that never took hold. "The members of the Security Council indicated their willingness to take additional measures should attacks on civilians and violations of the (January 23) Cessation of Hostilities Agreement continue," it said in a statement.

Security Council members are considering sanctions on South Sudan's warring parties and U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous demanded on Wednesday "serious consequences" be imposed to force an end to the violence. Ladsous and Simonovic briefed the council late on Wednesday. The council demanded that Kiir, Machar and other leaders "demonstrate leadership by publicly stating that any and all attacks on civilians are unacceptable, committing to hold accountable those who order such attacks or carry them out, immediately ending the violence, and returning to the inclusive peace process." South Sudan's government said on Thursday it would free four high-profile political prisoners facing treason charges, meeting a demand by rebels in the faltering peace process.

'OUTRAGEOUS' ATTACKS

A United Nations peacekeeper stands guard near the scene where about 200 people were killed during an attack in Bentiu, Unity state of South Sudan

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called East African leaders on Thursday to express support for their attempts to mediate a South Sudan peace deal through the Intergovernmental Authority for Development regional bloc, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said. The United Nations accused the rebels of hunting down men, women and children last week in a hospital, church and mosque in the capital of the oil-producing Unity state and then killing them based on ethnicity and nationality. After the rebels seized Bentiu, Dinka residents of Bor town in Jonglei state attacked a U.N. base where about 5,000 people, mostly Nuer, had sought shelter. Fifty-eight people were killed and 98 were wounded, including two Indian peacekeepers, the United Nations said.

On Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians as "outrageous" and said South Sudan's leaders must take immediate steps to end the violence and participate in peace talks. "Failure to take bold action now very well could push South Sudan into a cycle of retaliatory ethnic killing, a deepening civil war, and an even more devastating humanitarian catastrophe," Power said in a statement. "The Security Council must take action against those who continue to undermine peace efforts and swiftly create a sanctions regime targeting spoilers of the peace process and those responsible for atrocities."

Power said the government of South Sudan needed to "work far harder" to stop attacks on the United Nations. Tens of thousands have sought refuge at U.N. bases across the world's youngest nation, which seceded from Sudan in 2011. China, the biggest investor in South Sudan's oil industry, said it would "conscientiously participate" in Security Council discussions, but stopped short of saying whether it would support sanctions.

U.N. Security Council asks for inquiry into South Sudan massacre | Reuters