Red Cross to launch urgent appeal for aiding South Sudanese refugees

The Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) on Tuesday said it is about to launch an urgent relief appeal to meet the growing influx of refugees from South Sudan.

"The SRCS is to launch an appeal within the coming two days to provide assistance for the refugees coming to the country from South Sudan," said Osman Ja'far, SRCS Secretary General, at a press conference in Khartoum Tuesday.

"There are continuing influxes and growing numbers of refugees through the crossing points in the states bordering South Sudan," he noted.

He further said that "after launching the appeal and generalizing its statement, the reserve support by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will be released to provide the necessary assistance for the South Sudanese refugees."

Ja'far further reiterated readiness of the SRCS to provide the relief assistance for the needy anytime and anywhere.

Last March, the SRCS announced that the numbers of South Sudanese refugees in Sudan has neared one million.

Border crossings between Sudan and South Sudan are witnessing continuous influxes of refugees fleeing war and famine in South Sudan, forcing Sudanese authorities to consider establishing new waiting stations to meet the increasing numbers of new arrivals.

On Aug. 15 last year, Sudan officially decided to consider the South Sudanese fleeing the war in their country as refugees, opening the door for the United Nations (UN) to provide them with aid and funded programs.

Recently, famine has been officially declared in South Sudan.

The South Sudanese government and the UN stated that 100,000 people are facing starvation, and one million people are classified as being on the brink of famine.

The famine was attributed to several reasons including the civil war and economic collapse in the new-born state. Endit