The United Nations has appealed to the international community to be ready to assist the repatriation of thousands of children from Sudan to South Sudan.
With the end of the grace period nearing on April 8, organizations working with returnees foresee a huge increase in the number of Southerners leaving Sudan for South Sudan.The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy was in Renk, Upper Nile, to assess the situation of returnee children.
She appealed to the international community to be on alert for the possibility of a large scale humanitarian crisis and mobilize resources to ensure that children returning from Sudan are given the proper care and protection in South Sudan.
Ms Coomaraswamy met with President Salva Kiir Mayardit, DDR Commissioner William Deng Deng and Renk’s SPLA commander in separate occasions to discuss South Sudan’s commitment to release all child soldiers.
Ms Coomaraswamy added that for South Sudan to flourish, it is essential that education is made a priority, even with an austerity budget.
She added that only effective social programmes prevent children from being lured into armed militias.