Roundup: Increasing number of S. Sudanese refugees puts pressure on Sudan

As the rainy season is approaching, the suffering of around 50,000 South Sudanese refugees in a camp in Sudan's White Nile State is likely to worsen.

Khour Al-Waral refugee camp in Al-Salam locality, some 69 km south of Rebek, the capital city of White Nile State, is accommodating 50,000 refugees. The majority of them are from Upper Nile State of South Sudan on the border with Sudan.

Despite the efforts made by the Sudanese authorities to provide humanitarian needs for thousands of refugees, the situation is worsening with the increasing influx of refugees fleeing the war and famine in South Sudan.

During a tour for a team of journalists visiting Khour Al-Waral camp, a Xinhua correspondent saw several arrivals of new refugees to the camp.

The increasing number of refugees amounts to a big burden to Sudan, which is so far hosting over 600,000 South Sudanese refugees.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is tasked with the distribution of some food materials at the camp, which includes only corn, lentils, oil and salt.

Around 26,800 refugees inside Khour Al-Waral camp benefit from the food ration provided by the WFP weekly. The daily individual ration in the camp amounts to 475 grams of corn, 60 grams of lentils, 30 grams of oil and 10 grams of salt.

"These food materials provided to us are not enough as they do not include basic items such as onion, sugar and milk," Adot Gai, a South Sudanese refugee, told Xinhua.

"We do not have cooking supplies. Coal is not available and firewood is hard to obtain. Gas is totally unavailable," he noted.

Omdah Gabriel Zak, another refugee at the camp, complained about the scarcity of water inside the camp.

"Drinking water is not enough. We appeal to the international organizations to work to resolve the water issue," he told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Abdou Taha, Director of Khour Al-Waral refugee camp, acknowledged difficulties facing the refugee camp.

"This camp is set to shelter 25,000 refugees, but now it is accommodating 50, 000," Taha said.

"This situation is beyond our ability, but the daily influx of refugees is still increasing. We need greater effort by international organizations and donors," he noted.

Due to the security crisis in South Sudan and the famine which affects large areas in the new-born state, around 180,000 new South Sudanese refugees are expected to arrive in Sudan.

Sudan hosts the South Sudanese refugees in many camps distributed in four states including the White Nile, South Kordofan, East Darfur and Khartoum states.

The White Nile State is Sudan's biggest state hosting South Sudanese refugees. Enditem