SOUTH SUDAN: Caritas Archdiocese of Juba stands in Solidarity to Transport 100 Returnees
Photo of Returnees and Refugees fleeing from Sudan to South Sudan
Ginaba Lino
Caritas Archdiocese of Juba, South Sudan stand in solidarity to transport one hundred (100) households of Refugees and Returnees who stacked in Malakal due to lack of transport to reach their destination.
According to Caritas Archdiocese of Juba, most of the people they will transport are vulnerable like women with children, elderly people, sick people, and women who are the head of the house.
On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, Caritas transported over forty-two (42) returnees and refugees who were stranded in Malakal after crossing the border from Sudan three weeks ago.
Forty-two returnees out of the one hundred (100) planned by Caritas organization to be transported arrived in Juba on Tuesday.
Charles Leju Gabriel, an Admin Manager for Caritas South Sudan, Arch Diocese of Juba said the second batch of the returnees and refugees was expected to arrive in Juba on Wednesday or Thursday unfortunately the flight failed due to heavy rain.
“According to the plan we are supposed to receive 100 individuals from Malakal, however, we only received forty-two because of the flight, the rest we expect to arrive tomorrow and next tomorrow.”
Charles Leju Gabriel reiterated that Caritas South Sudan as a humanitarian partner will continue helping the returnees who are stuck in Malakal due to transport challenges to join their families in Juba and other parts of South Sudan.
The admin manager urges other Humanitarian partners to intervene and help people who are returning from Sudan to reintegrate with their people in South Sudan.
Majwok Dominic one of the returnees who fled Sudan on 2nd September said they faced challenges during their journey, especially the registration that took almost 3 weeks.
“The journey was very difficult because the registration was very slow which made me spend three weeks, but when I found Caritas, it was very easy I want to thank the church and Caritas for helping me and my family to arrive.”
Majwok said many of his friends are stranded in Malakal without their properties but also need to reunite with their families in Juba.
“I want the Government to help our people because there are many people there in Malakal, they need to travel to Juba because they lost everything.”
Another returnee, Susan said the journey was hectic and claimed that she remained stranded at Juba International Airport when communications between her and her relatives in Juba went mute.
Caritas South Sudan is one of the Catholic organizations that collaborate with other partners to facilitate their initiatives, such as project support to provide shelters, water, capacity building, sanitation and hygiene promotion, health/nutrition, and protection across the country.
With fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in its fifth month since April, some 5.3 million people have fled their homes and sought refuge in Sudan or neighboring countries.
More than 4.2 million people have been displaced to 3,929 locations across all 18 states as of 19 September, according to the International Organization for Migration Displacement Tracking Matrix.
