South Sudan refugees: UN wants sh2.4 trillion

The United Nations (UN) refugee agency, UNHCR, has posted a 71% funding gap, saying for Uganda to cope with the refugee influx from South Sudan, $674 (about sh2.4 trillion) should be mobilized.

According to the Uganda refugee response matrix on South Sudan, which UNHCR released on Tuesday, of the 1.3 million refugees in Uganda, only 834 have been medically screened, leaving hundreds in dire need of medical attention.

The refugees that are concentrated in the districts of Yumbe, Arua, Moyo, Adjuman and Lamwo, include 1 million  South Sudanese, 225, 755 from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 37, 349 from Burundi, 34, 963 from Somalia, 15, 031 from Rwanda and 20,763 from other unidentified countries.

"61% of population [of refugees] are children under 18 [years]," the report notes.

The South Sudan refugees in Uganda situation report adds that 51% of all South Sudan refugees are in Uganda, making Uganda one of the biggest host of refugees on the continent and the world.

UN says that between the period of January and September 10, Uganda received 335, 312 new arrivals.

The report has come at a time when the U.S has slammed sanctions on two South Sudanese government officials, a former army chief and three companies linked to the war lords in the conflict-riddled country.

Since December 2013, when the South Sudan crisis erupted following disagreements between President Salva Kiir and former Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, over two million people have been killed, while thousands have been displaced or forced out of the country as refugees.

Regional efforts are underway to broker talks between the warring factions. The peace efforts led by President Yoweri Museveni with the guidance of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the East African Community (EAC).