January 13th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudanese refugees have been ranked the second largest population in Africa that is in need of resettlement for the year 2019 according to a new report released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The UNHCR projected global resettlement need which mentioned the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the largest refugee population this year said resettlement need among South Sudanese population increased by 71% compared to 2018.
It said around 92,500 people were in need of resettlement in 2018 while 158,000 are in need of resettlement in 2019.
“The resettlement needs for refugees from South Sudan have increased by 71 per cent since 2018 (around 92,500 persons) to more than 158,400 in 2019, making this population the second largest refugee population in need of resettlement in Africa, the report obtained by the Nyamilepedia partly read.
The report further said in neighboring Uganda, a home to almost a million South Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers, more than one hundred thousands are projected by the UN agency to be in need of resettlement in 2019.
“In Uganda alone, some 115,000 South Sudanese are projected to be in need of resettlement in 2019,” it added.
The report mentioned that the whole resettlement need for Africa hiked by 23% with 629,744 in need of resettlement in 2019 compared to 510,676 person in 2018. Most of these refugees comes from DRC, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Central African Republic.
South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 following a flare-up of violent at a meeting of National Liberation Council (NLC) of the ruling SPLM party at Nyakuron Cultural Centre in the capital Juba leading to fighting in the army.
The fighting in the army, fought along ethnic lines, let to the killing of ethnic Nuer civilians in the capital Juba in pursuance of “state policy” to clean Juba of its Nuer population sparking protest by top army commanders leading to civil war.
So far, the war killed tens of thousands and displaced millions and threatens more than one-third of the population with starvation.
