South Sudan government and United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees or UNHCR have agreed to expand Ajuong Thok and establish a new camp in Pamir, 12 kilometres southwest of Ajuong Thok in Unity State in preparation for more Sudanese refugee arrivals from Nuba Mountains.
In a statement, UNHCR Representative in South Sudan Ahmed Warsame says the extension will accommodate up to 40 thousand refugees as the new camp hosts about 20 thousand.
The expansion project is expected to cost 20 million US Dollars from donors supporting UNHCR’s work in meeting basic refugee needs.
South Sudan Commissioner for Refugee Affairs Bol John Akol and UNHCR Representative in South Sudan Ahmed Warsame accompanied a visiting delegation of diplomats from Canada, Germany, United States, European Commission’s Humanitarian aid and Civil Protection Office, UNICEF and UNOPS to Ajuong Thok refugee camp at the end of March this year.
Federal Republic of Germany Ambassador David Schwake says donors have not forgotten the Sudanese refugees and the challenges they face every day.
The statement indicates that there are 258,383 refugees in South Sudan’s Unity, Upper Nile and Central Equatoria States mainly from Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Ethiopia.