Tuesday July 26, 2016
As Kenya struggles to close down the Dadaab refugees’ complex, it has emerged more than 8,500 additional South Sudanese have arrived at the Kakuma camp since January.
Of this, 468 arrived this month, with 353 coming from Nadapal since the latest violence began on July 7. “The inflow has been steady. We continue to monitor the borders and movement of people fleeing the conflict,” UNHCR-Kenya spokesperson Duke Mwancha said.
Amnesty International on Friday accused the South Sudanese government of stopping people from fleeing. Mwancha, however, said there is no known blockade hindering movement of those affected.
The largest number of those displaced crossed into Uganda, with new arrivals, mainly women and children, fleeing from Eastern Equatorial state. A smaller number arrived from Juba.
With an unpredictable situation in South Sudan, more asylum seekers are expected in the coming days, Mwancha said.
The latest influx of refugees is against the country’s concerted effort to reduce refugee numbers. Kenya has issued an ultimatum to shut down the Dadaab camp. It targets to send more than 300,000 Somalis back home by the end of the year.
Mwancha said more refugees continue to leave the camp, with at least 500 individuals expected to depart this week. The Kakuma camp is mainly occupied by refugees from South Sudan, but fewer Somalis have also been there for many years.
Somalis are targeted for repatriation. Tens have left the Turkana-based camp for Somalia.
The UN has said at least 300 people were killed and more than 10,000 fled their homes after violence erupted in Juba.
Amnesty International, in a brief released yesterday, said it is concerned many South Sudanese are arbitrarily detained at the National Security Service headquarters in Juba.