United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or UNHCR and South Sudan’s Commission for Refugee Affairs distributed digital identity or ID cards to some three thousand four hundred Refugees in Western Equatoria.
In a statement CRN received, the refugees are from DR Congo, Central African Republic, South Kordofan and Blue Nile States in Sudan.
UNHCR Assistant Representative on Protection in South Sudan Isabelle Misic observes that Identity documents are essential for refugees to prove that their presence in the country is lawful.
The official says the cards are key in protection of refugees, recalling 2012 South Sudanese Refugee Act that enables refugees to freely move within the country and access services and assistance.
The distribution of the cards followed a two-week biometric verification exercise whereby UNHCR collected up-to-date, complete and reliable data of refugees living in Makpandu, Ezo settlements and rural areas of Maridi, Source Yubu, Tambura, Andari and Naandi.