An IOM-organized river barge convoy carrying 1,708 stranded South
Sudanese returnees departed yesterday (23/4) from the Upper Nile
border town of Renk for Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The
convoy is made up of three passenger barges and four luggage
barges.

IOM is speeding up the evacuation of returnees from Renk,
organizing barge and road convoys to Malakal and Juba, as sporadic
fighting in border areas between Sudanese and South Sudanese forces
continues.

Most of the returnees have been stranded at Renk for many months
after arriving from the Sudan. The majority are travelling to the
greater Bahr el Ghazal region. Others are travelling to the
capital, Juba and beyond. Vulnerable and stranded returnees will be
provided with transportation assistance by IOM to reach their final
destination.

This is the fourth barge convoy organized from Renk since June
2011. IOM has provided transportation assistance to over 12,000
stranded returnees in South Sudan the last year, bringing the total
number of individuals that have received transportation assistance
to over 22,000.

The rainy season has now begun and access to Renk will be
further complicated as roads further south become impassable. 
IOM is concerned that the escalation in fighting may spread to
Upper Nile State, where skirmishes already occur on a regular
basis.

The operational constraints in handling these movements have
significantly increased as there is a shortage of barges and other
transport assets, a scarcity of fuel, and a shortage of goods and
materials since the border with Sudan has been closed to commercial
trade.

IOM worked closely with the UN Mission in Malakal to secure fuel
for this barge movement. These shortages impede assistance and
delay the organization of the movements, which can lead to
protracted displacement in temporary transit sites.

IOM is also providing return assistance to a group of 1,300
South Sudanese who left Khartoum in late March in a convoy and
became stranded in the town of Heglig, before being re-routed
towards Renk.

The situation of the group was of concern to the humanitarian
community and efforts are underway to relocate the group by road to
Malakal and by air to Aweil and Kuajok in Northern and Western Bahr
el Ghazal State.  An IOM-organized convoy of buses departed
Renk yesterday and arrived in Malakal this morning carrying the
first of the 1300 returnees in this group.

The group will remain in Malakal until they are cleared to
fly.  IOM and humanitarian partners are establishing a transit
site, located on the outskirts of the town, with capacity to
accommodate up to 30,000 stranded returnees.

At this site IOM is currently constructing emergency latrine
facilities for over 1,000 returnees and has secured water tankers
for the distribution of safe drinking water.

IOM responded to the recent bombing of civilians in Bentiu
(Unity State), by organizing an airlift of emergency medical
supplies to Bentiu Hospital.   It organized three flights
to transport just under three tons of emergency medical supplies
(donated by WHO.) On the return journey, the planes airlifted
patients injured during the bombing from Bentiu hospital to Juba,
where they have received treatment at Juba Teaching Hospital.

Heglig, the scene of recent clashes, is only 60km east of the
disputed area of Abyei.  IOM continues to monitor the
increasingly tense situation in Abyei.  Fighting in May 2011
resulted in the displacement of over 100,000 people in the area
into South Sudan.

IOM responded by providing emergency medical assistance,
distributing non-food relief items and emergency shelter materials,
and by constructing latrines and providing safe drinking water in
temporary settlement areas.

In October 2011, towards the end of the rainy season, IOM
tracking and monitoring teams noted a marked increase in the number
of displaced communities returning to Agok.

IOM is concerned about the increasing tensions between Sudan and
South Sudan and its impact on populations in border areas,
migratory groups, and returnees who became stranded on their way
home.  Increased insecurity in border areas limits the ability
of humanitarian organizations to provide direct assistance to
affected communities within conflict zones.

For more information, please contact:

Samantha Donkin

IOM South Sudan

Tel: +211922406728

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