UN supports return of South Sudanese refugees, IDPs: UN envoy

UNITED NATIONS, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The UNited Nations and its partners are supporting South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return home, the UN envoy for South Sudan said here Friday.

David Shearer, the special representative of the secretary-general for South Sudan, said that "people are expressing a willingness to return home" for the first time in three years.

He told the Security CoUNcil that an estimated 135,000 refugees have returned to South Sudan, and that within three months after the September peace deal, the number of people in protection of civilians (PoC) sites dropped from about 205,000 to 193,000.

After a failed deal in 2015, the South Sudanese government and opposite armed factions signed a revitalized peace agreement in September 2018. Since then the two sides have been talking about peace and mending relations.

Shearer said the population in the PoC in Wau is down to 13,000, one third of what it was six months ago, with another 40 percent saying they plan to move.

He said that the UN peacekeeping mission in the coUNtry, or UNMISS, has UNdertaken frequent "look and see" trips, helicoptering people to locations to assess for themselves if security situation is fit for return.

Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies are programming agricultural, education and health support in areas of expected high return, he said, adding the peacekeepers are patrolling more the areas of anticipated return to boost confidence.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, descended into conflict in December 2013 when forces loyal to President Salva Kiir started battling those loyal to Riek Machar, his former vice president.

The ongoing peace process UNder the September accord stipulates that a transitional government, with Machar being one of the vice presidents, should take office in May.