IOM and UNHCR this week signed in Khartoum a cooperation agreement
to help Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries and internally
displaced persons (IDPs) return to their homes by air, road and
river barge.

Information campaigns and "go and see" visits will help refugees
and IDPs to make informed decisions on whether and when to return.
Those opting to go home will be helped with registration,
pre-departure arrangements, transportation and reintegration
support. Vulnerable individuals, such as pregnant women, small
children, the elderly and the disabled will receive special
help.

Between now and June 2007, IOM and UNHCR plan to return more
than 15,000 Sudanese refugees from Ethiopia and Kenya, and 5,000
from the Central African Republic, as well as 25,000 IDPs. The
costs of the operation will be shared between the two
organizations.

Since December 2005, IOM, UNHCR and partners have assisted over
18,000 Sudanese refugees to return to South Sudan and 3,000 IDPs to
go back to their home areas in Bor in similar joint operations.

There are still 340,000 Sudanese refugees in neighbouring
countries and an estimated four million internally displaced
Southern Sudanese in Sudan itself. There are also over 16,000
refugees from neighbouring countries in South Sudan.

For more information, please contact:

Birgit Hussfeld

IOM Khartoum

Tel. +249 183 570 801

E-mail: "mailto:bhussfeld@iom.int">bhussfeld@iom.int