Refugees are arriving in Uganda from South Sudan tired and hungry due to the ongoing food insecurity situation in many parts of the country, a United Nations refugee agency told ChimpReports Monday.
Some of the refugees are reporting having walked for days in order to reach safety.
UNHCR said intense fighting is being reported in Yambio and Jonglei while in other areas, militias are reportedly burning down villages, looting, destroying farms, kidnapping youths and committing acts of sexual assault.
The situation is making it increasingly difficult to successfully harvest crops, while food that is available is becoming increasingly unaffordable due to the continued devaluation of the South Sudanese pound.
During the last two weeks, 2,840 people from South Sudan sought safety and protection in Uganda.
This is an increase compared to the previous two weeks (2,254) and is line with the increased rate of new arrivals Uganda has been receiving since the start of the year.
“New arrivals are disproportionately young and female. In Kiryandongo, 91 percent of new arrivals are children under the age of eighteen and female adults,” said the refugee agency.
A joint mass nutrition screening that included Office of the Prime Minister, UNHCR, 28 Village Health Teams from Kiryandongo, Action Contre la Faim and KDLG showing that new arrivals are presenting with increasing levels of malnutrition, particularly amongst children.
Action Contre la Faim (ACF), supported by WFP and Swedish International Co-operation Agency (SIDA), are providing emergency nutrition and health services.
Officials said to date, the UNHCR portion of the Regional Refugee Response Plan for South Sudan has not yet received any funding.
Burundi
Meanwhile, this week, a total of 253 Burundian refugees sought safety and protection in Uganda, in line with recent, albeit fluctuating trends.
UNCHR said majority of new arrivals are fleeing Bujumbura and its neighbouring areas, with fresh insecurity also reported to have broken out in Kirundo province.
Refugees are reporting that armed groups are looting, killing civilians, committing acts of sexual and gender-based violence and kidnapping youths.
A number of refugees have reported that there is a pervading sense of fear amongst many communities in Burundi.
UNHCR called for “calmness and international attention to avert a further deterioration of the situation.”
Reports from new arrivals indicate that some are facing problems with using official border points, especially in cases where individuals do not possess the correct documentation.
This is allegedly forcing people to use unofficial border points.
UNHCR has stressed that the right to leave the country and seek asylum should be respected.