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Int'l Red Cross seeks aid to help South Sudanese refugees in Uganda

Xinhua, August 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an appeal for 670,000 U.S. dollars to help more than 40,000 refugees from South Sudan in Uganda over the next six months.

In a statement received in Nairobi on Wednesday, the Red Cross said interventions will focus on water, sanitation, hygiene promotion, emergency shelter and health, calling for immediate support to ensure that these families receive the life-saving assistance they need.

"The vast majority of people who are crossing into Uganda from South Sudan are women and children, or people with special needs, such as the elderly and those with complex health issues," said Andreas Sandin, IFRC's Operations Coordinator for Eastern Africa.

"After having traveled more than 400 km from Juba, they arrive exhausted, hungry, and in need of shelter. With more families arriving daily, we need to ramp up our activities quickly," Sandin said.

Since early July, when deadly violence erupted in South Sudan's capital between groups loyal to the president and those loyal to the vice-president, more than 80,000 people have fled to neighboring Uganda -- more than the number of South Sudanese refugee seekers seen in the previous three years. Endit