South Sudan refugees in Ethiopia ‘in desperate situation’

The number of South Sudan refugees in Uganda, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia is nearing 700,000. Ethiopia hosts over 250,000. With 90% of new arrivals being reported to be women and children, the World Heath Organization is warning of the spread of communicable disease within the camps and to the host communities.

Some of South Sudan refugees living in the western region of Ethiopia now are homeless after the past rains led to flooding of their camps. The United Nations Human commission for refugees, UNHCR says that 50,000 refugees urgently need a new camp. The refugees need to be relocated before the end of April when the rains begin.

Finding the land with the right conditions to set up another refugee camp has reportedly been a challenge. Several sites that had been identified immediately after the rainy season of 2014, were subsequently declared unsuitable.

With the suspension of the South Sudan peace talks, there is a likelihood of an escalation of violence in South Sudan, hence an increase in refugees as such the UNHCR is requesting the Ethiopian government to provide even more land to set up more refugee camps.