South Sudanese returnees from Sudan will be transported to homes of origin

By Adia Jildo

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has said it will relocate South Sudanese who fled conflict in Sudan to the respective states.

 “We don’t need to bring anybody to Juba, we are taking these people where they are supposed to go because these people are returnees,” said Albino Akol Atak, the minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management during his recent visit to Renk County.

Nearly, 28,000 South Sudanese have returned following outbreak of conflict in neighboring Sudan since April 15.

Akol said that relocating thousands of returnees to Juba without providing them support like food, water, medicines and shelter is risky.

“The government wants to make sufficient intervention that will resolve the situation of refugees and returnees that have come as a result of conflict in Sudan,” he said.

Akol said they are giving priority to vulnerable people who need evacuation by plane.

Peter Van der Auweraert, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, said they will help transport returnees and refugees using steamers across the Nile River since it’s the cheapest means of transport.

He said the situation in Renk and Paloch areas where thousands of returnees are worsening as the number of people fleeing continue to rise

 “We need to stop the flow of returnees and refugees towards Paloch, because we want to separate and make a smooth management of the crisis,” Akol said.

“So we told them whoever comes from the border should stay in Renk. Where we set up some facilities for them to stay and then the government  will arrange for their evacuation from there,” he added.

Akol said the evacuation will be by air and river transport.

He added that they will have to register the stranded returnees prior to transporting to their areas of destination.