South Sudan not ready for Masses of Returning Refugees after Peace Talks

Last week the peace deal was signed in Africa, which should end more than 20 years of violence and civil war in south Sudan. This week has seen the greatly encouraging sign of people who had previously fled, returning to their homes.

However, new worry has now emerged from this new development; the towns and villages are not yet ready to cope with the influx of people that are expected to return to them. According to reports approximately four million Sudanese natives fled from the violence in fear of their lives, which says the United Nations, is the largest displaced community.

Thousands are reportedly on the move to return home now after last week’s victories peace talks, however, they will return to an area which has been desolated by years and years of civil war. In many places there are no roads, cities, schools or hospitals for the communities.

The Southern Sudanese conflict began in 1962, and since that time continuous floods of refugees have fled to neighbouring countries in attempts to escape the fighting.

Figures suggest that there are around 1.8million living in Khartoum, and another one million across the remainder of Sudan, with more than 500,000 still in neighbouring countries.

UNHCR expects approximately 150,000 people to return to Sudan within the first year alone, but more alarmingly up to 1.5 million will move back to their homelands from within Sudan itself.

Church leaders in Sudan said they are preparing to receive the hundreds of thousands of refugees that are expected to return home.

"They don’t have homes. They don’t have food. Our challenge is how we can resettle them," Archbishop Joseph Marona of the Episcopal Church of Sudan told Ecumenical News International in Nairobi. "These are great challenges. We will need huge resources."

In 2002 peace talks got underway, and at that time thousands of natives began the long journey back to their homes in hope of a renewed life, but peace talks have lasted over 2 years with the climax only just recently arriving.

Jennifer Clark of UNHCR, has assessed the UN’s refugee agency’s work in preparing for the return of the masses, but expresses her concerns and states that Southern Sudan is not yet ready to cope with this great influx of people.

Clark said, "The needs are so great and the infrastructure is so lacking in the south that we would not want to see a huge return of people very quickly, because it could possibly overwhelm the ability of these communities to receive people back."

The response to the situation from donors has been frustratingly slow though; last year the UN made an appeal for US $30 million to get its works started, however, only $6 million was received. Renewed cries for donations to come forward promptly are currently being made, in efforts to halt a tragic humanitarian situation developing for the hopeful returning civilians.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army estimated the cost to repatriate the refugees at US $1 billion a year for six years. The UNHCR said it will dedicate at least $100 million for the cause, while the European Union pledged US $526 million.

The All Africa Conference of Churches also set aside US $50,000 from its 2005-2006 budget to support the rebuilding of Sudanese civil society, according to ENI.

"The AACC is committed to ensure the civil society is educated to give a practical interpretation of the peace signed," said Mawudor, the finance and administration director for the AACC.

The World Council of Churches (WCC), of which the AACC takes part, has also pledged approximately £50,000 to support the reestablishment of Sudan.