UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is seeing a surge in refugee arrivals from South Sudan in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Over the past few days thousands of desperate people have been crossing the border to escape fighting and violence against civilians.

ONGOING CASH AND FUEL SHORTAGES CONTINUE TO IMPACT RESPONSE DELAYS AND REFUGEE PROTECTION – Cash shortages reported since November continue and are driving implementation delays for assistance projects in all refugee locations, especially for procurement and monitoring activities, and cash-based interventions. The situation is compounded by rising inflation and ongoing fuel shortages. Water system functionality has been hard hit, with generators at pumping stations unable to run due to a lack of fuel. Ongoing protests have also raised concerns for refugee protection amid escalating civil unrest across Sudan.

OVER 3,000 REFUGEES ARRIVED IN SUDAN IN JANUARY – The majority of refugees arrived in East Darfur State (1,552), followed by West Kordofan (767), South Darfur (487), South Kordofan (167) and White Nile (138). The increased new arrival flows follow the re-opening of roads in South Sudan along the border. Inter-agency partners estimate a total of 50,000 new arrivals in 2019.

SUSPECTED MEASLES CASES REPORTED IN CAMPS IN WHITE NILE STATE – Over 60 cases among both refugee and host communities have been reported in White Nile State clinics, with 55 of these cases reported in January in Al Redis II, Al Kashafa and Jouri camps. Measles vaccine coverage in the affected refugee camps is less than 50 per cent. A vaccination campaign in White Nile refugee camps is planned for mid-February.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) recently allocated DKK 10.5 million from Denmark’s Emergency Reserve Fund to support the South Sudan refugee situation.

The Government of Uganda, Partners in Development and UN agencies today launched the Health Response Plan that will ensure equitable access to quality health services for hundreds of thousands of refugees and host communities in Uganda.

UNHCR welcomes Ethiopia’s historic new refugee law which will now allow refugees to obtain work permits, access primary education, obtain drivers’ licenses, legally register life events such as births and marriages and open up access to national financial services, such as banking.

At the heart of Ethiopia's innovative new refugee framework is a more comprehensive response to displacement in which refugees are included in national services like health and education, rather than setting up parallel systems. It also focuses on ensuring refugees have the opportunity to be self-reliant and can contribute to local economies in a way that also benefits their hosts.

UNHCR, the Office of the Prime Minster (OPM) and partner agencies today officially launched a communication system for refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda. The two-way communication system is being rolled out to all refugee settlements in Uganda and is anticipated to cover the entire refugee operation by February 2019.

Five years on since the civil war started, over 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees have sought safety in six neighbouring countries: Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR). Another 1.9 million are internally displaced inside South Sudan.