IOM sounds alarm over suspension of life-saving transport in South Sudan
Statistics show that nearly 1.2 million people have crossed into South Sudan since April 2023, straining already fragile systems amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has expressed alarm over the suspension of its life-saving transport services for thousands of displaced people in South Sudan due to critical funding shortfalls.
The organisation operates an onward transport assistance (OTA) programme, a critical lifeline for those undertaking long and dangerous journeys as a result of the war in the country.
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The programme allows people to move safely and with dignity from border entry points to their destinations of choice within South Sudan, where they can reconnect with their families, find protection, and access services and opportunities for recovery.
Statistics show that nearly 1.2 million people have crossed into South Sudan since April 2023, straining already fragile systems amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
However, following the depletion of available funding, OTA operations were drastically reduced and temporarily suspended on June 1, 2025.
"This suspension has put further strain on host communities, increased the risk of tensions and disease outbreaks, and limited access to already scarce resources such as water, health services, land, and livelihoods," IOM said on Friday.
It is now urgently appealing for 6.5 million dollars (Sh840 million) to resume this vital support and prevent vulnerable people from being left stranded.
"The people arriving in South Sudan have already endured unimaginable trauma - conflict, displacement, and profound loss.
It is unconscionable that, after surviving so much, they are now left stranded at the border without the means to reach safety or rebuild their lives. We cannot allow financial constraints to determine whether people live with dignity or languish in desperation. The time to act is now. This lifeline must be restored - urgently," said IOM Director General, Amy Pope.
At the moment, only one bus and one truck depart daily from the Joda border to Renk, which is far below what is needed to meet the scale of the emergency.
While operating optimally, OTA runs a multi-modal transport network, using barges, buses, and aircraft, depending on the security and accessibility of specific routes.
As such, travel from border areas like Renk to destinations such as Wau, Juba, or Bentiu can take more than five days.
Since May 2023, the organisation has supported over 570,000 new arrivals in South Sudan with transportation from entry points to transit centres, and more than 250,000 people to their final destination.
"The need for this service is now greater than ever as people continue to flee Sudan's warzone and arrive in South Sudan's fragile northern regions," the organisation said.
It added that as the crisis in South Sudan continues, population movements are shifting, with new waves of arrivals from other areas placing additional strain on already overstretched border communities and services.
These new arrivals are compounding South Sudan's already dire humanitarian crisis, marked by years of conflict, disease outbreaks, and climate shocks.
"Since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, nearly 1.2 million people have crossed into South Sudan, which continues to maintain an open-door policy for those fleeing violence. Of these arrivals, 32 per cent have been identified as Sudanese refugees and 68 per cent are South Sudanese returnees," IOM data shows.
It adds that approximately 85,000 people have crossed from South Sudan into Sudan since April this year.
This includes South Sudanese refugees and Sudanese nationals returning home, primarily due to insecurity and the lack of essential services in South Sudan.
IOM says many of those arriving at border areas like Renk are exhausted, malnourished, and without the financial or physical means to continue their journeys. "They face urgent medical needs or serious protection risks, including unaccompanied or separated children, older people, persons with disabilities, and those requiring referral to specialised care," the organisation adds.
With a projected 125,000 new arrivals expected between July and the end of the year and 43,000 people in urgent need of transport assistance, IOM warns that the crisis will only deepen in the absence of immediate funding.
It therefore called on donors and partners to urgently step in and restore this critical service, ensuring safe, dignified onward movement for those fleeing conflict and seeking protection in South Sudan.
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