UNHCR Opens New Camp for South Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopia
November 18, 2016 – The United Nations Higher Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) on Friday said that it has opened a new camp as it records high influx of South Sudanese refugees flocking in to Ethiopia.
Nearly 40,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Ethiopia’s Gambella region since early September.
Most of the new arrivals have been registered and relocated to Jewi, Kule, Tierkidi and Nguenyyiel refugee camps, whilst 806 registered persons await relocation.
According to the UN refugee agency, currently on average, some 547 south Sudanese refugees arrive in Ethiopia on a daily basis.
64% of the total registered new arrivals are children, including 8,392 unaccompanied and separated children.
“This increasing trend of underage asylum-seekers from South Sudan adds to the already young refugee population in Gambella” UNHCR said.
The new arrivals, most originate from the Upper Nile State (94.2%) and Jonglie State (5.6%).
Since September, the operation in Ethiopia has experienced a fresh influx of refugees from South Sudan fleeing renewed violence and food shortages in their home country.
To shelter the new arrivals the UNHCR along with its main government counterpart, the Administration for Refugee and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) have built a new Camp in Gambela region which borders South Sudan.
Some 6,200 newly South Sudanese refugees who arrived recently have been relocated to the new camp, Nguenyyiel which is not far from the other camps.
As numbers of South Sudan refugees rises the UNHCR has requested USD 113.8 million for the South Sudan Situation in Ethiopia.
As numbers of South Sudan refugees rises the UNHCR has requested USD 113.8 million for the South Sudan Situation in Ethiopia.
Currently Ethiopia hosts 324,075 South Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers.
The horn of Africa’s country provides protection to refugees from some 20 countries, with the majority originating from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan.
South Sudanese, Eritreans, Yemenis and Somalis originating from South and Central Somalia are granted automatic refugee status.
While to all other, individual refugee status determination is undertaken by the Government’s Eligibility Committee, on which UNHCR sits as an observer.
The Government maintains the policy requiring refugees to reside in refugee camps.
It however allows certain refugees to reside in the urban areas, primarily in the capital Addis Ababa.
They include refugees in need of special medical attention unavailable in camps; refugees with serious protection concerns or inability to stay in camps for humanitarian reasons.
Currently over 18,000 Eritrean refugees reside in Addis Ababa enrolled under the Out-of-Camp Policy (OCP).
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