Rallying Support in Malakal
In Malakal, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) praised ongoing efforts to assist families escaping conflict in neighbouring Sudan. Deputy Director General SungAh Lee described the transit operation as a vivid testament to resilience and international solidarity.
Funding Gaps and Cooperation
Lee acknowledged shrinking humanitarian budgets and appealed for closer coordination with UN agencies, governments and local actors, arguing that collective action is essential to maintain life-saving services at the transit and reception centres.
Pathway to Resilience
She emphasised that emergency help must evolve into programmes that promote recovery. Infrastructure, basic services and skills training, she said, can allow displaced citizens to regain dignity, stability and long-term self-reliance.
Bulukat Centre’s Reach
At the Bulukat Transit Centre, hundreds of returnees continue to arrive daily. Since mid-2023 the site, run with UNHCR and Upper Nile State authorities, has already assisted more than 223,000 people with shelter, food, healthcare and protection.
Strategy Behind Relocation
IOM Chief of Mission Vijaya Souri explained that relocations aim to ease overcrowding while moving families closer to social and family networks. No separate reintegration package exists, yet relocated households link into ongoing national assistance schemes.
Call for Sustained Aid
The agency urged donors and development partners to keep funds flowing so that South Sudan’s communities can strengthen resilience and build futures beyond displacement.