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As per the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and his wife Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein Chairperson of Dubai International Humanitarian City, an aid shipment of core relief items worth over AED1,658,465 (US$ 451,500) has been sent to South Sudanese people escaping violence in their home country and fleeing to Uganda.
The relief cargo, sent from Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, included 10,000 kitchen sets, 4,000 solar lanterns, and 500 plastic sheets, bound for Uganda.
Toby Harward, UNHCR Head of Office in the UAE, lauded the humanitarian contribution, saying, "We are very grateful for this generous and timely donation aimed at alleviating the suffering of thousands of South Sudanese refugees."
Harward stressed the importance of the shipment, and continued, "As the security situation has deteriorated in South Sudan, collective efforts are urgently required to assist the Ugandan authorities and respond to the acute needs of large numbers of South Sudanese fleeing their country. This shipment is an important component of the needed international response."
In 2016, The Government of Dubai provided support to thousands of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda through an air shipment of more than 100 tonnes of emergency relief items. The shipment helped to provide a safe and dignified environment for refugees.
The displacement situation in Uganda has soared during the past months due to the escalation of violent attacks in South Sudan. Some 192,000 refugees have arrived in 2017 so far, with an average of 2,000 refugees fleeing insecurity, violence and famine every day, bringing the total number of South Sudanese seeking refuge in Uganda to more than 832,000.
Over 62 percent of the new arrivals are children. In all, more than 1.7 million refugees have so far fled South Sudan due to the continuing conflict.
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