Gov’t should provide security amid growing number of returnees — Grandi

JUBA — The United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has appealed to the government of South Sudan to provide better security conditions for returning refugees and IDPs vowing that the UNHCR will help in the settlement of refugees and IDPs.

Grandi who arrived in South Sudan’s capital Juba on Saturday said his office is mobilizing available resources to meet the needs of South Sudanese refugees returning home.

“We are trying to mobilize resources from big donors such as the EU, World Bank, the U.S and others to help us do this work,” Grandi told reporters during a press conference in Juba on Saturday.

According to the UN agency, there are currently 4.3 million displaced people from South Sudan, including refugees, IDPs, and asylum-seekers. Over half of all South Sudanese refugees are children.

In the press conference, Grandi reaffirmed his office’s readiness to help returnees rebuild their lives.

“The UNHCR office has a very good initiative called ‘pocket of hope’, that they have identified in the whole of South Sudan with four to five counties where the conditions could be good for return, Grandi said.

“The ‘Pocket of Hope’ is like a seed, it is a first project in five areas in the whole of the country, it is very small but it is good for the start,” he added.

The top UN official further called on the revitalized unity government to step up efforts to stabilize the security situation to enable refugees and internally displaced persons to return home.

“This is the responsibility of the government and of all political leaders to avoid conflict, if you have more conflict, people will not come back and you will have more refugees abroad,” he stated.

He stressed the need for the government to prepare for the return of refugees through rehabilitating infrastructure, restoring security and stability as well as speeding up the implementation of the 2018 peace deal.

“To be refugees is not a good thing. We have to find a the solution, and what we are telling the government is to get prepare and create secure conditions for people to come back,” he said.