South Sudanese refugees flock to Kenya's Kakuma camp

The Kakuma camp, in the northwestern part of Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese refugees escaping conflict and hunger is anticipating to receive more refugees as renewed fighting back in South Sudan persists.

Since Thursday the capital Juba has been mired in fighting, with troops loyal to president Salva Kiir and soldiers backing former rebel leader and vice-president, Riek Machar clashing.

South Sudanese say they are left with no choice but to flee.

“There is a serious drought in South Sudan. There is no rain and there is a lot of hunger. We also have a lot of insecurity. We came here by lorry, but we ran into some rebels on the way and they started shooting at us and hit some people in the vehicle,” said The Kakuma camp, in the northwestern part of Kenya, home to hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese refugees escaping conflict and hunger is anticipating to receive more refugees as renewed fighting back in South Sudan persists.

Since Thursday the capital Juba has been mired in fighting, with troops loyal to president Salva Kiir and soldiers backing former rebel leader and vice-president, Riek Machar clashing.

South Sudanese say they are left with no choice but to flee.

“There is a serious drought in South Sudan. There is no rain and there is a lot of hunger. We also have a lot of insecurity. We came here by lorry, but we ran into some rebels on the way and they started shooting at us and hit some people in the vehicle,” said South Sudanese citizen, Cecelia Obere.

The UN refugee agency says at least 100 people arrive in the camp every week, waving red flags of a burdened humanitarian structure.

Over 2 million South Sudanese have had to flee their homes since 2013- 678,000 of them across borders as refugees and 1.69 million displaced inside the country.

The UN refugee agency says at least 100 people arrive in the camp every week, waving red flags of a burdened humanitarian structure.

Over 2 million South Sudanese have had to flee their homes since 2013- 678,000 of them across borders as refugees and 1.69 million displaced inside the country.

A peace deal was signed in August 2015, but experts say failure to implement swiftly key elements, such as the re-integration and demobilization of combatants, have allowed tension to fester even as the country turned five-years-old on July 09.

Agencies