With the imminent onset of the rainy
season, IOM is providing return assistance to a group of several
thousand vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) currently
in Central Equatoria in Sudan, who wish to return to their homes in
Jonglei State.

The first group of 67 vulnerable IDPs, mostly
elderly, disabled, expectant mothers and women with young children,
left the town of Yei on Saturday for a five-hour journey by road to
Juba where they will probably wait until the end of the rainy
season before beginning the final leg of their journey home to
Bor.

“It is likely the IDPs will remain in
Juba’s Lologo temporary way station for some time as
preparations to receive them in Bor may be hampered by the
rains,” said IOM operations officer in Yei, Bradley
David.

In Juba, arrangements to receive the IDPs in
Lologo are underway, with UNICEF increasing the number of toilets
and drilling an additional borehole. WFP will supply food which
will be distributed to the returnees by Islamic Relief Worldwide
(IRWW).

The IDPs are part of a group of an estimated
5,600 Dinkas who fled the towns of Yambio, Mundri and Anjutua in
Western Equatoria to Yei last year to escape chronic insecurity.
But recent tensions in Yei over land issues have prompted the IDPs
to return home.

Prior to their departure, the group was
medically screened by IOM staff. “The overall medical
condition of this first group was satisfactory,” said Dr Arun
Mallik, IOM’s chief medical officer. “We will
nevertheless provide a midwife and two medical assistants during
the journey.”

“Compared to other groups of internally
displaced Dinkas who have returned home with their cattle, this
particular group is going home with very little,” added
David. “That’s why they will need extra reintegration
assistance once they arrive in Bor.”

IOM, in coordination with the UN and
government of South Sudan has organized the returns by barge of
some 2,100 IDPs from Juba to Bor. Travel by river remains one of
the most viable means of transit between North and South Sudan, and
one that may remain viable throughout the rainy season.

For further information, please call:

Bradley David

IOM Yei

Tel: +882 166 7000 260

E-mail: "mailto:bdavidtdy@iom.int" target="_blank" title=
"">bdavidtdy@iom.int