IOM Kenya’s Assistance to Refugees from South Sudan EXTERNAL SITUATION REPORT
6 - 12 JUNE 2014
A boy arrives at Nadapal with his uncle. They trekked on a four-day journey to reach Kenya . © IOM 2014 (Photo: Cris4na Milan)
HIGLIGHTS •
The people of South Sudan are hopeful that peace will prevail and refugee arrivals in Kenya reduce.
OVERVIEW The people of South Sudan are holding on to the hope that the peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar will hold. Although the security situa on across South Sudan remains precarious and vola le, the peace agreement has persuaded some ci zens to remain in some vola le areas, in an cipa on of a return to normalcy. The number of South Sudanese refugees arriving in Kenya con nues to decline, a factor that is a#ributed to the high cost of travel to Kenya, as compared to the neighbouring countries. The fuel shortage in South Sudan is also limi ng access to transporta on, for the refugees. The heavy rains currently in Sudan and Kenya are also increasingly posing challenges to refugees, as roads become impassable and cost of transporta on has gone up. Kenya has been home to South Sudanese refugees in the past and many of those that returned home following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan in 2005, are choosing to seek refuge in Kenya, because they are familiar with the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Women and children form 70 per cent of the arriving refugees. The majority of arriving refugees are trauma zed and are in need of psychosocial support.
Achan** arrived in Kakuma with her six children (five daughters and one son). She was staying at the UMISS compound in Juba, before fleeing to Nadapal.
The rebels entered UNMISS and killed civilians. At some point, access to food was a challenge and the children could not go to school anymore. These fighters entered schools and killed children so we did not want to risk sending them there. Some unlucky pregnant mothers that they encountered met very bad deaths. For those that tried to access UNMISS, like me, the fighters only allowed in women and children. This is my first me in Kenya. I came here hoping that my children will be able to go to school. I do not know the whereabouts of my husband and I lost contact with my three daughters. I hope that they found their way to safety somewhere and that we can reunite soon.
** Name has been changed to protect her iden4ty.
TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE IOM con nues to provide transporta on assistance for refugees from Nadapal to the Kakuma refugee camp. Since the onset of the crisis, 37,736 refugees have entered the country (Source: UNHCR portal, 5 June). An average of 45 individuals were transported on Monday and Wednesday this week. Kenyan and South Sudanese Immigra on oďŹƒcials have revised the frequency of registering refugees to three days per week, i.e Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
A mother and her children head to board an IOM hired bus. IOM is providing transporta4on assistance from the Kenya-South Sudan border, to the Kakuma Refugee Camp. Š IOM 2014 (Photo: Cris4na Milan)
TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE
Contact: Regional Emergency and Post-Crisis Unit I DANILA Bogdan Silviu I bdanila@iom.int