South Sudan： UN Warns Surge in Sudanese Refugees Pushes Camp Capacity to Limit

South Sudan： UN Warns Surge in Sudanese Refugees Pushes Camp Capacity to Limit

南蘇丹：聯(lián)合國警告稱蘇丹難民的激增已到難民營承載極限

Sudanese refugees continue to pour into South Sudan as they flee aerial bombardments and ground attacks in the war-torn Nuba Mountains in Sudan， the United Nations refugee agency said today， as it warned that many of the settlement camps are quickly reaching full capacity.

With arrival rates exceeding 500 people per week， this represents an increase of more than 100 percent compared to the same period of 2013， William Spindler， spokesman at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees （UNHCR）， told reporters at a Geneva press briefing.

At the Yida transit centre managed by Africa Humanitarian Action and the International Red Cross， UNHCR and its partners provide initial reception and assistance to the new arrivals， including hot meals. Refugees are medically screened and receive a measles vaccination.

UNHCR is also registering all new arrivals to ensure that refugees can be identified quickly and are able to access assistance. To date， more than 80 percent of new arrivals have been transported from Yida to Ajuong Thok， a camp established in March 2013 to ease overcrowding in the Yida settlement.

But with 18，000 Sudanese refugees already living in Ajoung Thok， the camp has almost reached its full capacity of 25，000 people. There is an urgent need to improve current infrastructure as well as education and shelter.

South Sudan is currently home to nearly 250，000 refugees， mostly from Sudan and more than 1.8 million internally displaced people.

Also today， the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights， Ivan Simonovic， announced that he will visit South Sudan from 1 to 6 February to assess the human rights situation.

During his trip， Mr. Simonovic will seek updates on progress in investigations of human rights violations committed since the resumption of fighting in December 2013 that have resulted in the killing of thousands of civilians and internal displacement of over a million people. He will also discuss ways to prevent future violations.

The Assistance Secretary-General is scheduled to meet with a number of government officials as well as civil society actors in Juba， South Sudan's capital. He is also scheduled to visit Bentiu， Malakal and Rumbek.

This is Mr. Simonovic's second visit to South Sudan. He first visited in January 2014.

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