SOUTH SUDANESE REFUGEE DELEGATION IN KHARTOUM SHARE EXPECTATIONS FROM REVIVED PEACE TALKS WITH SOUTH SUDAN’S LEADERS - On September 4, a group of 16 South Sudanese refugees from Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Central African Republic (CAR) met in Khartoum with the signatories of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and other political parties and stakeholders from South Sudan’s civil society. The refugees appealed to the international community to continue to support the people of South Sudan, and said that they will only return to South Sudan if the situation on the ground improves and there is a strong commitment to the agreement by all parties. They also expressed their readiness to play a greater role in awareness-raising and rebuilding trust amongst South Sudanese communities both in South Sudan and in exile. The meeting was facilitated by UNHCR in collaboration with the Government of Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the Commissioner of Refugees (COR) and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD).

HEALTH SERVICE GAPS EMERGING IN NORTH DARFUR - A health service gap has emerged in North Darfur State affecting about 14,000 refugees living in settlements, as well as their host communities who benefit from- and rely on this clinic and health services. Health partners are urgently needed to sustain health services in the area.

SECONDARY MOVEMENTS TO NORTH DARFUR ONGOING AS REFUGEES SEEK WORK – Biometric registration of refugees in Al Lait locality is ongoing. More than 500 refugees previously registered in East Darfur have arrived in Al Lait since August seeking casual labour opportunities during the locality’s harvest period. Over 60 per cent of newly registered refugees to North Darfur are young single males.

In Sudan, about 80,000 refugees are still without access to latrines across all 10 camps. In some cases over 70 people have to use a single communal latrine.

7% of South Sudanese refugees currently live in semi-permanent shelters in the region.

The high percentage of children among the South Sudanese refugee population makes this a children’s refugee and education crisis. Over 50% of South Sudanese refugees in the region do not have access to basic primary or secondary education and less than 1% have access to tertiary education.

In Uganda, limited resources means not having enough staff to ensure quality of child protection services and adequate follow up on children in care arrangements. There is one caseworker for every 150 children, and children make up some 63 per cent of the refugee population.

The Government of Uganda with the support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, concluded a comprehensive exercise to verify the identities of all refugees and asylum-seekers in the country, using enhanced biometric tools.

The analysis from the Verification Exercise in Uganda indicates that a majority of the refugees who were absent, originate from South Sudan and arrived between 2016 and 2017.

Two (2) refugees are elected to Uganda’s highest decision-making body for comprehensive responses. 2 out of 37 seats in the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) Steering Committee are reserved for refugees, with a view to involve them in the strategic direction and key decisions on the CRRF in Uganda.