During her visit to the Jorom Refugee Camp in South Sudan, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on the international community to provide more support for refugees in the region. The camp, established in 2010 to accommodate 3,000 people from Ethiopia’s Gambella region affected by conflict, now houses approximately 10,000 refugees, including those fleeing conflict in neighboring Sudan and others from Ethiopia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Baerbock’s statements emphasized the urgent need for increased support, particularly from neighboring countries and Gulf states, to address the humanitarian suffering, with a focus on women and children who are disproportionately affected by the conflict. She highlighted the war in Sudan as being particularly devastating for women, with sexual violence and rape systematically used as weapons of conflict. Baerbock shared harrowing accounts of women in the camp who had witnessed their daughters being raped and had lost children while fleeing the violence.
The German Foreign Minister received a briefing on the situation in South Sudan at the headquarters of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the East African country. Following her visit to East Africa, Baerbock planned to travel to Jordan for political discussions on the Middle East crisis on Saturday, including a meeting with her Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi.
The situation in South Sudan has drawn significant international attention due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, compounded by conflict and severe flooding. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has made a strong call for more international support during her visit to the Gorom refugee camp in South Sudan. This camp, initially set up to accommodate 3,000 people, now houses around 10,000 refugees, highlighting the dire need for increased aid, particularly for women and children who are disproportionately affected by the crisis.
The United Nations, through its agencies, is actively working to address the escalating humanitarian needs in the region. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has urgently called for increased funding and commitment from the international community to tackle Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, which has led to over 1.7 million civilians seeking refuge in neighboring countries, including South Sudan. The IOM has launched an appeal for $307 million in 2024 to assist those affected by the conflict.
