REGIONAL OVERVIEW
On 15th December 2013, violence broke out in South Sudan’s capital Juba and quickly spread to other locations in the country. Since the beginning of the crisis, seven out of the country’s ten states have been affected by the continuing internal conflict with Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity and Upper Nile states being the hardest hit. Almost 705,800 people have been internally displaced across the country, including 74,000 seeking shelter in the compounds of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) bases. Externally, another 204,469 have sought asylum in the neighbouring countries, in particular Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.
The current situation remains volatile and compounds an already critical humanitarian situation inside South Sudan, where some 225,000 Sudanese refugees are in need of protection and assistance, and 3.7 million people are currently (March 2014) at high risk of food insecurity and without livelihood opportunities.
This Inter-Agency Appeal for refugees fleeing conflict in South Sudan has been coordinated by UNHCR, based on consolidated inputs from UNHCR and partners working to respond to the needs of these refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.
The number of South Sudanese refugees who have crossed into Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda has increased to over 204,000 by the 5 of March 2014. The pace and numbers of cross-border arrivals exceed the initial planning figures set at the onset of the crisis. Moreover, additional large numbers of refugees from South Sudan are expected to flee to neighbouring countries over the coming months. The total planning figure for 2014 has therefore been raised to include 350.000 refugees across the region.
Given these trends and the worrying state of the refugee population upon arrival throughout the region, protection and life-saving activities will be prioritized in the ongoing emergency response. The total financial requirements to respond to the desperate humanitarian situation in the four countries covered by this appeal amount to USD 370,777,164.