UN agencies warn against refugees funding shortfalls in Sudan

The United Nations agencies on Monday warned against funding shortfalls which could affect the assistance that is being provided to South Sudanese refugees in Sudan.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Monday released a joint statement expressing deep concern at funding shortfalls in the assistance program for about 221,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan.

"Our resources are being stretched at a time when needs are quickly growing," said UNHCR's Representative in Sudan, Mohammed Adar.

"Over 50,000 South Sudanese have crossed into Sudan since the beginning of 2016, surpassing the planned figure set for the entire year," he noted.

He said "further shortfalls in funding will hamper our ability to continue providing assistance for the existing South Sudanese refugees in Sudan while also responding to the emergency needs of new arrivals."

The UNICEF Sudan Representative, Geert Cappelaere, for his part, warned that his organization is running out of funding for the provision of critical support to more than 100,000 children from South Sudan in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

"With only 11 percent of the total humanitarian requirement funded so far in 2016 and an estimated 105 million dollars shortfall, the UNICEF is gravely concerned it may have to cut back on crucial life-saving water, sanitation, nutrition, health and protection assistance to those vulnerable children," he noted.

The WFP Representative and Country Director Adnan Khan, meanwhile, said "we are concerned that if we do not receive sufficient funding soon enough, we will not be able to respond to the needs of South Sudanese refugees who continue to flee their country to seek food and refuge."

According to UN statistics, around 221,000 South Sudanese nationals have fled their home to Sudan since the eruption of violence in their country in December 2013.

The majority of the Southern Sudanese refugees in Sudan live in seven camps in White Nile, East Darfur, West Kordofan and Khartoum States.

On March 17, the Sudanese government decided to treat the South Sudanese citizens residing in Sudan as foreigners when receiving services, and it would take legal measures against whoever does not have a passport or an entry visa. Endit