Refugees at Gorom commemorate the World Refugee Day. June 20, 2023. | Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio

South Sudan commemorates World Refugee Day amid the conflict in Sudan that has triggered a deteriorating humanitarian crisis leading to tens of thousands pouring into the country from the northern border.

The Refugee Day is celebrated every June 20 to honor people who have been forced to flee their home countries.

On Monday, thousands of people at Gorom Refugee Settlement remembered the day under the theme: “Hopes Away From Home!”

The camp – west of the capital Juba – has over 3,000 refugees of different nationalities including Sudanese, Congolese, Ethiopians, and Burundians.

Eye Radio reporter attending the occasion says the day will be marked with speeches from refugees, host community, and officials before it concludes with a football match between refugees and the host community.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), South Sudan has Africa’s largest refugee crisis with nearly 2.3 million displaced out of the country and millions of others internally displaced.

Uganda hosts the largest South Sudanese refugee population of 875,848, followed by Sudan with 808,336 as of March 2023.

But this may be subjected to changes due to the current conflict that has caused a double displacement back to South Sudan.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia hosts 416,308, Kenya 157,402, and the Democratic Republic of Congo has 56,536 South Sudanese refugees.

The number of people displaced into South Sudan is unclear, but according to government data, there are nearly a million foreigners – mainly undocumented migrants in South Sudan.