
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has developed an emergency plan to receive 148,000 refugees from South Sudan into Sudan in the near future.
According to a report published by Sudan Tribune on Saturday, UNHCR stated that it had developed a six-month emergency response plan to accommodate the expected influx of refugees and asylum seekers from South Sudan.
The agency noted that, in coordination with the Commission for Refugees, it conducted a registration campaign in Gezira State in early May. During this campaign, 1,160 refugees from Ethiopia and Eritrea were registered in Wad Madani, Al-Hasaheisa, and Al-Managil.
However, the campaign was unable to register refugees from South Sudan. Community leaders reported facing serious protection risks, including arrest, detention, and deportation.
The report also mentioned that refugee registration in Khartoum State has been suspended since last April due to security concerns and government directives, stemming from the worsening security situation and a lack of services.
UNHCR further revealed that, in collaboration with the Commission for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other partners, they conducted screening for 125 victims of human trafficking from Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia at the Wad Al-Sharif reception center in Kassala State.
Out of these, 79 victims applied for asylum in Sudan, while the rest opted for voluntary repatriation. Meanwhile, 14 victims were transferred to a safe house to serve as witnesses in legal proceedings against the traffickers.