Sudanese refugee crisis - Pinyadu and beyond

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is preparing to relocate 16,000 Sudanese refugees to the existing Pinyadu (also spelled Pugnido) camp mentioned in my earlier report.  New Pinyadu is reported to be one of the largest refugee camps in the world.  

Many more South Sudanese have fled to Ethiopia to escape ethnic violence in South Sudan's Jonglei State.  Apparently, an average of 20 Sudanese cross the border into Ethiopia on a daily basis.  

Many of these refugees arrive with their livestock which makes resettlement even more difficult as grazing land in Ethiopia is scarce. 

Renewed fighting in the Blue-Nile area may bring a fresh influx of refugees from the Benishangul-Gumuz region.  The UNHCR is also investigating reports that another estimated 10,000 internally displaced people from the Gengen area are preparing to cross into Ethiopia.  An additional 33,000 refugees are also currently being cared for in Assosa town.  These may also be moved to the Pinyadu camp later this year.  

As of February about 200,00 people from South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states has fled to either South Sudan or Ethiopia.  There are many cases of severe malnutrition and the infant mortality rate is high.  Indiscriminate aerial bombardment by the Sudanese Air Force and shelling of civilians continues.  

Recent reports state that Ethiopia is facing an increasing refugee population, mainly from strife-torn neighbouring countries, including Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan.  The 17 existing camps scattered acros the nation are simply not enough to deal with this ever increasing population of refugees.  Additional camps are now due to be built.  According to UNHCR statistics for the whole of last year up until February, Ethiopia hosted a total of 388,805 refugees from 13 different countries, including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Yemen, Djibouti and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Between January and February alone, the agency registered over 10,170 new arrivals in the country.

The fields are white unto harvest.  Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into the harvest...

For more information see:  http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article46108

And:  http://www.voanews.com/content/no-progress-in-sudan-and-splm-north-talks/1650079.html

See here for statistics:  http://data.unhcr.org/Sudanese_Refugees_in_Ethiopia/country.php?id=65