The South Sudan refugee situation is the largest on the African continent. More than 2.5 million South Sudanese refugees are currently struggling to survive in exile. By the end of 2019, UNHCR estimates 2,802,289 people will have fled South Sudan. UNHCR is appealing for (USD) 2.7 billion to provide life-saving assistance to the displaced.
UNHCR, the UN Refuge Agency, and NGO partners are today launching an appeal for US$2.7 billion to address the live-saving humanitarian needs of South Sudanese refugees in 2019 and 2020.
Five years on since the onset of a brutal civil war, over 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees have sought safety in six neighboring countries Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR). Another 1.9 million remain internally displaced inside South Sudan.
UNHCR welcomed that there had been a relative reduction in violence in parts of the country since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in September 2018. The refugee agency appealed to all parties to continue to respect and implement the agreement. Given a history of past breaches to peace initiatives however, UNHCR does not yet view the current environment in South Sudan as being conducive for safe returns of refugees.
UNHCR also commended the continued generosity of host countries in maintaining open borders for South Sudanese refugees seeking safety, especially given the immense pressures on the limited resources of asylum countries. Due to the scale of displacement, levels of funding have been far outpaced by rising needs. Hugely more international support and solidarity is urgently needed for South Sudanese refugees.
A key priority for UNHCR is the promotion of social cohesion progammes among refugees and their hosts, to ensure the ongoing viability of the two communities living together peacefully and harmoniously. In any refugee situation, it is vital that both communities are helped.
Sexual and gender-based violence and child protection activities remain primary concerns, as 83% of refugees are women and children. Many women have reported rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, along with the killings of their husbands, and the abduction of children during flight~UNHCR
