(Juba) – South Sudan is experiencing a sharp rise in the number of refugees entering the country, most of them fleeing ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan, according to national officials and African Union representatives following a recent humanitarian assessment.
The Deputy Commissioner for the Commission of Refugee Affairs (CRA), John Dabi, told journalists on Friday that nearly 90 percent of new arrivals in South Sudan are Sudanese nationals escaping violence since the war began in April 2023. The majority are women and children.
“We have several refugees, but 90% are from Sudan,” Dabi said. “We receive them because our refugee act and policy follow an open-door approach. I think that’s because we ourselves were refugees in many countries during the liberation struggle.”
However, Dabi said that while funding is being pledged to support these populations, the actual disbursement process is complicated. He explained that support from the African Union (AU) passes through several national systems before it reaches local refugee programmes.
“The support does not come directly to us,” he noted. “It goes through the central bank and finance ministry, and then we work with partners to access those funds for projects like health centres and schools.”
Fred Bully, executive director of the Humanitarian Development Consortium, warned that the added burden of hosting new refugees is straining South Sudan’s already limited capacity.
“We are approaching one million refugees in South Sudan, a country already dealing with its own humanitarian challenges,” he said. “We now have to host nearly 600,000 more.”
Bully described the AU consultation as “critical” for improving coordination and resource mobilisation, saying stakeholders must urgently strengthen their response mechanisms.
African Union delegate Ambassador Churchill Ewumbue Monono said the AU’s mission aimed not only to review the refugee crisis but also to examine progress on AU-supported development projects. “We came to assess the situation of the refugees and returnees, especially those coming from Sudan, and to look at the impact of their presence on development,” he explained.
Monono confirmed that the AU had provided $500,000 (equivalent to SSP 2.325 billion at official exchange rate or SSP 3.5 billion on the parallel market) to support classroom construction in Perou and had delivered educational materials to schools and settlements.
“The AU is moving from policy to action,” Monono said. “We are here to help close the gaps, especially now that other donors are pulling back.”
He also stressed the importance of African led approaches to dealing with displacement.
“The problems that South Sudan faces with refugees and internally displaced people are problems that affect all of us as Africans,” he said.
Monono warned that funding shortfalls could severely affect the ability of aid agencies to meet increasing needs.
“Every humanitarian partner is facing resource constraints. Without extra support, we won’t be able to respond to the growing demands,” he concluded.
With conflict in Sudan showing no sign of ending, South Sudan’s already overstretched systems in education, healthcare, food supply and security are under mounting pressure.
