Ambassador Mohammed Affey, the UNHCR’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa addressing the media in Jube on Thursday, July 20th 2023. (Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio).

A visiting UN Envoy for the Horn of Africa says the situation of South Sudanese fleeing the Sudan conflict is devastating and calls for more humanitarian support.

Ambassador Mohammed Affey, the UNHCR’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa was in South Sudan for three days where he traveled to Malakal, Upper Nile State.

According to him, the situation of thousands of returnees being hosted at the transiting centers in Upper Nile is not acceptable.

Ambassador Mohammed however thanks the government of South Sudan and development partners for trying their level best to address the needs of the returnees.

“I am here to understand the magnitude and the impact, the gravity of this situation to South Sudan. Together with our country representative and partners of the Republic of South Sudan, we managed to visit a reception center in Malakal,” he said at a news conference in Juba.

“What we saw is quite devastating in terms of the situation of the people who have returned and the conditions they continue to live in.”

“It is not acceptable as we saw it but we would like to thank the government for its effort in trying to address the challenges that continue to face those returning population.”

“I would also like to thank our partners but appeal for more. There is a lot more that needs to be done to really support the condition to make the condition of those who are returning much better than they are currently living in.”

According to the UN refugee agency, South Sudan continues to receive on a daily basis over 2000 persons fleeing the violence in neighboring Sudan.

Ambassador Mohammed Affey further reiterated call on the Sudanese warring parties to end the violence to allow their citizens to enjoy the diffidence of peace.

“I would like to appeal that this war as to just stop for the Sudanese to enjoy life as citizens of the country.”

“That pain cannot continue and that has gone beyond Sudan now, and that is why we are here in South Sudan but also in Chad, in Egypt, in Central African Republic, and as countries as far as the rest in the Horn of Africa.”

“No country has not seen the impact of this war in our region every country as seen the movement of population into their countries as a result of the war in Sudan so generally, I would like to appeal from here that this war should stop.”

South Sudan’s refugee crisis remains the largest in Africa, with over 2.2 million South Sudanese displaced across the country’s borders.

Another 2.3 million are displaced within South Sudan while the country itself hosts over 300,000 refugees from neighboring countries.