Oxfam Urges International Community to Continue Supporting Refugees, Returnees, and Displaced Persons in South Sudan

By Denilson Deneki

During a press conference on Thursday in Juba, Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, emphasized the importance of ongoing support for refugees, returnees, and displaced persons in South Sudan. Behar had recently visited the region to assess the humanitarian situation and highlighted the dire conditions faced by thousands of individuals who have been affected by the conflict.

Behar urged the international community to prioritize addressing the crisis in South Sudan, which has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. He raised concerns about the overcrowded transit camps that lack sufficient access to humanitarian assistance, stating, “The transit camp is just along the boundary because all the shelters have now been filled. They have just put one sheet and created their shelters and these hundreds of people. I would say it is challenging there.”

He stressed the need for sustained attention to the situation in South Sudan amidst other global conflicts, stating, “It is critical for the world not to forget the crisis in South Sudan… What is happening in Ukraine, what is happening in Gaza, a lot of attention is getting diverted, we are very keen that people understand that this is still a crisis and will probably become a bigger crisis.”

Behar also shared a poignant example of a woman with a bullet lodged in her hip, seeking medical aid within a refugee camp, illustrating the urgent need for comprehensive support for those impacted by the conflict in Sudan.

While Oxfam International is working to address immediate humanitarian needs, Behar emphasized the importance of developing sustainable solutions for the long term.

He stated, “The approach we have is to try and fill the humanitarian gap from our perspective… we think there is a need to build a long term.”