Highlights
88,584 South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia (as of 03 April)
31,240 South Sudanese refugees in Kenya (as of 03 April)
61,889 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan (as of 03 April)
93,980 South Sudanese refugees in Uganda (as of 03 April)
803,200 IDPs since 15 December 2013 (as of 03 April)
SOUTH SUDAN: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterrres, accompanied by the WFP Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin, and the Regional Refugee Coordinator for the South Sudan Situation, Ann Encontre, paid a two-day visit to South Sudan to support and witness UNHCR operations in-country. They called on the parties to the conflict to spare no effort to bring about peace, and on the international community to make additional resources available to assist those most affected.
SUDAN: An inter-agency needs assessment mission to South Kordofan State (SKS) commenced on 25 March. The joint mission with participation fromUNHCR, OCHA, UNICEF, WHO, UNDSS, CIS, IOM, ASSIST, SRCS, Mubadiroon, WES, MoH, and HAC, will assess the humanitarian needs of approximately 8000 new arrivals in SKS.
UGANDA: In Adjumani, refugees went to polls on 25 March to elect community leaders. This will help increased community participation in the affairs of the settlements as well as enhance coordination between international organizations and the community.
ETHIOPIA: As tens of thousands of South Sudanese continue to flee their conflict-torn homeland, the heads of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) as well as the Regional Refugee Coordinator for the South Sudan Situation travelled to Ethiopia's border region of Gambella from neighboring South Sudan to meet refugees who recently fled the conflict. During their visit to Gambella, UNCHR and WFP Representatives, together with humanitarian partners and Ethiopian officials, visited the newly-built Kule Camp which houses over 23,000 South Sudanese refugees and the Pagak border entry point, where hundreds of people cross daily from South Sudan. The refugees, mostly women and children, reported walking up to three weeks before reaching the border. Many described surviving on grass, wild fruits and leaves. They were visibly exhausted, traumatized and famished, and scores of young children are registering an alarmingly high malnutrition rates.
KENYA: UNHCR Supply Unit in Nairobi is organizing consignment of blankets and plastic sheets to Kakuma which will be received in a few days.