Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: South Sudan, Uganda
Highlights
- 6,420 South Sudanese people fled to Uganda on the 14th and 15th September, the vast majority of whom are using border crossing points in to Arua district. Refugees are increasingly using a number of informal border crossing points, particularly in Busia, Angili and Chakulia. Refugees are reportedly using these new border crossing points to avoid confrontation with armed groups.
- The number of people who have been forced to flee from South Sudan to countries in the region has now reached more than 1 million. South Sudan joins Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia as countries that have produced more than 1 million refugees. Read more: http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2016/9/57dbb5124/number-south-sudanese-refugees-reaches-1-million-mark.html
- A new settlement area has been opened in Arua district to accommodate the continued and escalated rate of new arrivals. Ofua village, located with Rhino Camp, is estimated to be able to host 6,000 households according to the Government of Uganda. Site evaluation, planning and the demarcation of plots for shelter are underway to verify the capacity.
- The humanitarian response is endeavouring to ensure that particularly vulnerable new arrivals, such as the elderly, survivors of sexual assaults, disabled, and orphans, amongst others receive the specialized care they require as soon as possible after arriving in Uganda. 300 people were identified shortly after crossing the border in Arua and Adjumani, including 20 children with no relatives, 22 families with a child as the primary caregiver, 172 children arriving with family members other than their parents, six elderly people, eight people with disabilities and six people in need of medical assistance. In Bidibidi, 449 people were identified and provided with support.
- 4,546 people were medically screened and provided with various different medical interventions including deworming tablets, polio and measles vaccines, amongst others.
- 1,134 children were assessed for malnutrition in Arua district, of whom twelve were found to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition and 46 with moderate acute malnutrition. Those found to be malnourished have been placed on supplementary feeding programmes to bring them back to health.
- 6,567 refugees were relocated from Adjumani, Arua and Moyo to Bidibidi settlement in Yumbe, bringing the total refugee population in Yumbe to 88,622 refugees.