A 24-day IOM airbridge of 79 flights carrying 11,840 stranded South
Sudanese from the Sudanese capital Khartoum to Juba in South Sudan
ended today.

The South Sudanese, who had spent months in the Kosti way
station 300 kms south of Khartoum waiting for transport from Sudan
to South Sudan, joined the airlift voluntarily, after the Governor
of White Nile State ordered them to leave the site by May 5th. As a
condition of organizing the airlift, IOM insisted that the deadline
be lifted.  

IOM staff responsible for registration, drawing up flight
manifests and pre-travel medical screening will leave Kosti way
station shortly, as the site is now being dismantled by White Nile
State officials.  

The final flight, which left Khartoum at 13.00 today (6/6/12),
was seen off by senior representatives of the Sudanese Ministry of
Welfare and Social Security and the Ministry of Interior, the
National IDP Center, the Civil Aviation authority, the South Sudan
Embassy and key partner agencies. 

The operation, which was funded by the Common Humanitarian Fund
(CHF), the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department
and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) cost some USD 5.5
million and moved on average 550 people a day using IOM-chartered
aircraft.

“The success of this one-off operation, despite the
challenges of extreme heat, dust storms and technical challenges
posed by excess baggage was due to excellent cooperation between
IOM staff, government and aid agency partners, and service
providers every step of the way,” said IOM Sudan Chief of
Mission Jill Helke. 

IOM registered and medically screened passengers in Kosti before
bussing them to Khartoum. In order to allow two flight rotations a
day, passengers for the first flight of each day spent the night in
Khartoum’s National Camping Centre. 

On arrival in Juba, passengers were met by IOM staff and moved
to a transit site established and managed by IOM and UNHCR, in
coordination with South Sudan’s Ministry of Humanitarian
Affairs and Disaster Management and the Relief and Rehabilitation
Commission. 

The facility, which can accommodate up to 7,000 people, is
currently assisting 3,500 South Sudanese from Kosti who returned
with the airlift.  

In addition to registering new arrivals and sharing information
on the most vulnerable with humanitarian partners, IOM is providing
shelter, water and sanitation, lighting and non food emergency
relief items in the transit site.  

IOM is also organizing onward transportation for returning South
Sudanese arriving in Juba. To date it has organized three road
convoys – two to Eastern Equatoria and one to Western
Equatoria – to help a total of nearly 1,600 people to reach
their final destinations. 

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in July
2011. 

For more information please contact  

Jill Helke 

IOM Sudan

Tel: +249 922 406 661

Email:  "mailto:jhelke@iom.int">jhelke@iom.int  

or 

Samantha Donkin

IOM South Sudan

Tel: +211 922 406 728

Email: "mailto:sdonkin@iom.in">sdonkin@iom.in