Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Credit: UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi on Tuesday appealed for financial aid of $1 billion to support returnees in South Sudan and Sudanese refugees in the region.

This appeal is aimed at addressing the pressing humanitarian needs of the Sudanese refugees who have sought refuge in the neighboring countries including South Sudan

More than 237,700 South Sudanese returnees and Sudanese refugees have entered South Sudan since the conflict started on 15 April.

According to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, many of them entered through 12 border crossing points in Upper Nile and Northern Bahr El-Ghazal States.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi announced the appeal during his visit to South Sudan where he visited Sudanese refugees in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state and met with the refugees.

Grandi stated that 365 million from the appeal will meant for South Sudan to deal with influx of the returnees and Sudanese refugees.

He is now calling upon the international community to provide the necessary resources to alleviate their suffering.

The requested funds will be crucial in providing vital humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese refugees, who are in desperate need of access to food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, and other essential services.

Filippo Grandi revealed the appeal while addressing a press conference this morning in Juba.

“At that time we appealed for about half a billion US dollars not just for South Sudan but for the whole region so for Chad, Egypt and other countries receiving Sudanese refugees, that appeal was valid until September,” said Filippo.

“We have received a bit less than half of that funding about 40% of that funding Unfortunately now we have come to the end of that,” he said.

“I have today to announce that we are appealing for double that figure for a billion dollars from the beginning until the end of December.”

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees urges countries, organizations, and individuals to contribute generously to this appeal.

Grandi also met with President, Salva Kiir, and discussed how best to support refugees and mobilize resources for host countries, not least South Sudan.