World Refugee Day celebrated in Kassala, speech

Excerpts from a speech by a United Nations official, Ms Janet Lim.

On behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, it is my pleasure to be with you today as we commemorate World Refugee Day.  Today the global international community recognises and celebrates the resilience of more than 10 million refugees as they endure untold hardships.  It is a day when countries recall their responsibilities to address the plight of refugees....

In the past four decades the people of Sudan have hosted hundreds of thousands of refugees.  Throughout this time, UNHCR has assisted the Government to protect, care for and find solutions for these persons.... Sudan’s efforts are rooted in a shared belief that there are no tolerable levels of suffering: even one person forced to flee war or persecution, is one too many....

Today I want to pay special tribute and express my gratitude to the communities of eastern Sudan that have, through their generosity, welcomed and helped to protect refugees who, over the years, have fled conflict and political strife.  Without doubt, local and national capacities have been stretched to the limit as communities host large long-term refugee populations.  But there is also recognition that the greatest burden is shouldered by refugees themselves....

When refugees have been in a country for a long time and they are in a protracted situation, they need to become self-reliant to meet their daily needs.  They need to be allowed to become part of local development programmes and contribute to local economies.  With close to 60% of the Eritrean refugee population having been born in the Sudan, with numbers of them having subsequently acquired Sudanese nationality, we cannot deny that most of the refugees know only life in this country.  Is this a problem or an opportunity for local communities, authorities and the refugees themselves?...

 In a protracted refugee situation, self-reliance eventually leading to local integration must replace direct assistance programmes.  In this regard, legalising the presence of refugees as provided for under Sudanese law is of particular importance.  In particular this implies lifting or easing restrictions on freedom of movement, ensuring refugees hold valid documentation, and eventually considering refugees who apply for naturalization already under existing mechanisms....

East Sudan is fast becoming a principal transit route for trafficked migrants and refugees, with some 2,000 asylum seekers arriving each month.  This mixed movement of persons has Khartoum and beyond as destination....

The Sudan is going through a turbulent period of its history but previous experience has shown that Sudanese are a resilient and innovative people who pull through challenges such as these with renewed vigour and commitment. Challenges in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the south are great but my office is optimistic that all parties will do their utmost to ensure a peaceful outcome of the process....

A smooth transition will be needed to allow for focused attention to put in place viable solutions for refugees in eastern Sudan and address other displacement challenges in Sudan....

 Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you and the hosting communities for the generosity that you have extended to refugees in eastern Sudan over many decades.  I cannot think of a more fitting way of commemorating World Refugee Day than to be with you here, in a spirit of solidarity with the refugees, the host communities, and local and national authorities as together we pursue new approaches in the search for solutions.   

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UPDATE July 1. A  news article by the United Nations illustrates the difficulties of the many Eritrean people who have crossed the border into Sudan. Also available as a pdf download.