Camp authorities have transferred 401 refugees from Yida to the new camp of Ajuong Thok in spite of some resistance from refugees. The transfer was facilitated by the UN Refugee Agency in coordination with the Government of South Sudan.

Hassan Mudir, coordinator for humanitarians affairs in Yida Camp, confirmed that 401 refugees were relocated to the new camp in three trips. He explained that most of these people were newcomers including students and some families.

“So far 401 individuals have completed their relocations from Yida camp to Ajuong Thok new camp,” said the officer. The figure is comparable to data on the UNHCR website, which shows 278 registered refugees at the camp as of 6 May.

Hassan pointed out, however, that there was some resistance from the refugees to go to the new camp. He explained that aid officials are using various methods to pressure or encourage the refugees to move.

For example, new arrivals at Yida Camp are not given food or medicine on arrival, he claimed, unless they agree to go to the new camp. “I found a man who had stayed for 20 days without food and the child was very sick and we had to help him,” he said.

Hassan added that he had requested UNCHR and the Government of South Sudan to provide emergency food to the new arrivals before taking them to the new camp. “The new arrivals need emergency food before we can take them to the new camp, because they are really facing a lot of problems as they are not given any help for more than three months,” he said.

The refugee leader noted that it is the responsibility of the Government of South Sudan to protect the refugees, suggesting that security was a factor in the issue. Ajuong Thok is made to accommodate about 20,000 people and so far has 401. “The number of refugees there depends on the new arrivals and the free will of the people to go to the new camp,” said Hassan.

Refugees resist transfer

There has been high tension in Yida Camp between the Sudanese refugees on the one hand and Government of South Sudan and the UN Refugee Agency on the other. Several sources in Yida Camp explained the new measures designed to draw people toward Ajuong Thok Camp.

Musa Idriss, a former MP in South Kordofan and an elder, said that they are facing big problems with aid officials: “They have refused to renew our ration cards and asked us to go to the new camp Ajuong Thok.”

The elder said that in his own case he took permission from the camp authorities to go to Juba for an eye operation and after his return back, they refused to renew his ration card and asked him instead to go register at the new camp.

“I am among the first people who have opened Yida camp – how can they transfer me to the new camp?” he said. “We will not go anywhere else from Yida except back to Nuba Mountains,” he claimed.

He also claimed that the area of the new camp is inhabited by people who were supporting the National Congress Party (NCP) against the refugees. “We cannot stay with those in the new camp because they were supporting the NCP in killing us. I believe they are agents of the NCP,” he said.

Musa said that the new regulations in the camp have put many new arrivals including elderly ones in desperate conditions for more than three months without food assistance or medical help.

According to a mother of three children in the camp, Mahasim Kafia, she fell victim to the same new order as Musa. “I came here to Yida but they refused to register me and they told me to go to the new camp,” she told Radio Tamazuj.

She said that her child is sick but she could not be helped because she is not registered in the camp. “I am calling on the government of South Sudan and the camp authorities to help us – my children will die,” she said.

She added that she objects to going to the new camp because she has no relatives there: “All my people are in Yida and they can help me in case I get into problems.”

Government officials dealing with the refugee situation were asked to comment but declined to do so.

Photo: A bus moves refugees from Yida to Ajuang Thok, 11 May 2013 (Radio Tamazuj)