UN official urges more help for South Sudan to cope with crises

High Commissioner António Guterres meets with a group of South Sudan returnees

“This country is facing at the present moment, six months after independence… a number of huge humanitarian challenges that needs massive solidarity from the international community,” said António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, who is on visit to South Sudan, in an interview with UN Radio.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July last year after voting overwhelmingly for separation in a referendum held as part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the decades of civil war.

Fighting in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states has caused some 80,000 Sudanese refugees to flee across the border into Unity and Upper Nile states in South Sudan.

Fighting in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states has caused some 80,000 Sudanese refugees to flee across the border into Unity and Upper Nile states in South Sudan. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been delivering tens and other relief supplies to assistant the refugees.

“UNHCR… is directly engaged in relation to the support of refugees that are coming now in great numbers fleeing from South Kordofan and Blue Nile and have been received in an extremely hospitable way by the people and the Government of South Sudan in Upper Nile and Unity states,” said Mr. Guterres.

He said 60 planeloads of tents and other relief items had been delivered for the 80,000 refugees and that UNHCR was working with partners to ensure that they have food, water, heath care and protection.

On the situation on South Sudan’s Jonglei state where the recent outbreak of inter-ethnic clashes between the Lou Nuer and Murle communities resulted in major internal population movements, Mr. Guterres commended the work of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the country’s Government in preventing an escalation.

“The UN mission… has done a fantastic job to avoid an escalation of this conflict and to avoid much worse the consequences,” he said.

“We have been closely cooperating with the mission, but I think one should recognize the leadership of the mission together with the authorities of the country has been exemplary,” he added.

UNMISS has reinforced its presence in key areas of Jonglei to protect civilians following the recent violence and is continuing to conduct daily air and land patrols. But the mission has repeatedly stressed that the Government has the main responsibility of restoring peace and stability. The Government also deployed extra security forces in Jonglei.

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South Sudan: Appeal for Doro Camp
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres visits refugees in South Sudan and says international assistance is “absolutely crucial.”/Added on Jan 11, 2012
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About the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people.

In more than six decades, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives.

Today, a staff of some 7,685 people in more than 125 countries continues to help some 33.9 million persons.

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> United Nations (UN).

The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 192 countries.

When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes:

• to maintain international peace and security;
• to develop friendly relations among nations;
• to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;
• and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.

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* The above story is adapted from materials provided by United Nations (UN)
** More information at United Nations (UN)