A family displaced by the Sudan conflict sits under a palm tree in Northern Upper Nile State. | Photo: UN OCHA

The UN’s Interim Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan has announced the release of 8 million US dollars for life-saving assistance to thousands of people who fled the conflict in Sudan.

Peter Van der Auweraert said the finance will complement the same amount released from the Central Emergency Response Fund in June to support the life-saving activities of the IOM-UNHCR-led Emergency Response Plan for the crisis in Sudan.

The Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that over 149,000 individuals have been recorded arriving in South Sudan since the conflict erupted on 15 April.

The data is contrary to government data, which put the number of those who crossed into South Sudan at 200,000.

But the number of arrivals is projected to increase as the crisis continues.

Van der Auweraert said the latest funding will facilitate activities to support the movement of people from transit sites to their destinations of choice.

“Many people who fled the conflict in Sudan are arriving across the border with nothing. Many reported that they were subjected to violence and exploitation, such as extortion and looting, as they fled to South Sudan,” said Auweraert.

He added that the returnees and refugees need urgent support to reach safety and rebuild their lives.

Mr. Auweraert further said that the funding will also allow the scaling up of life-saving activities, including food, health care, protection, shelter, non-food items among other assistance to people in the transit sites.