More than 700 Sudanese refugees have been registered in Rumbek as a registration exercise by the United Nations refugee agency continues in South Sudan’s Lakes State, officials said.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday said it registered 791 Sudanese refugees over three days from Saturday to Monday as part of an ongoing mobile registration campaign.
The exercise aims to provide refugees with identity documents allowing freedom of movement within Lakes State and across South Sudan, as well as access to services such as opening bank accounts and registering SIM cards.
Yawusa Daud Kintha, UNHCR’s deputy director for protection and refugee welfare, said the Rumbek exercise followed earlier registrations in Western Bahr el Ghazal.
“We started in Boro Medina, then moved to Raja and Wau, and now we are in Rumbek, which is our third location,” he said.
Kintha said UNHCR teams had trained local government officials and law enforcement officers in Rumbek two weeks before the exercise began.
He said 544 refugees were registered on the first day, 403 on the second and 144 by mid-morning on the third day, adding that numbers were expected to rise.
“We will remain here for a few more days before moving to Tonj and later Kuajok, Wunrok and Turalei, before returning to Juba,” he said.
Kintha thanked local authorities and the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) for supporting the exercise and mobilising refugees.
He said the registration includes refugees arriving from Cueibet County, Rumbek East and nearby villages, with priority given to those travelling long distances.
Refugees in urban areas such as Rumbek would receive legal protection through documentation, including proof of registration and refugee identity cards issued by the South Sudanese government and UNHCR, he added.
“These documents will facilitate movement, access to banking services and SIM card registration, and exempt refugees from migration-related fees,” Kintha said.
Sadam Abdelkarim Dosa, a representative of the Sudanese refugee community in Lakes State, welcomed the exercise and thanked local authorities and communities for hosting refugees.
“Many people have arrived since the conflict in Sudan began, and the numbers are higher than before,” he said.
John Sawat Makuac, commissioner for humanitarian affairs and NGOs in Lakes State, said the registration targets Sudanese refugees across the state’s eight counties and is expected to run for about a week.
He said the exercise aligns with a presidential directive to document refugees and ensure they receive protection and support.
Sudan has been gripped by conflict since April 2023, forcing millions to flee. As of April 2026, about 4.4 million Sudanese have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, making it one of the world’s largest displacement crises.
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