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WORLD NEWS Monday 16 april 2018

South Sudan’s refugee flow

is often a children’s crisis

By ADELLE KALAKOUTI
Associated Press
ARUA, Uganda (AP) — The
flood of South Sudanese
refugees from the country’s
5-year civil war has been
called a children’s crisis.
More than 60 percent of
the well over one million
In this April 14, 2018, photo provided Sunday, April 15, 2018, by refugees who have poured
the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong into neighboring Uganda
Un, left, shakes hands with Song Tao, head of the Chinese Com- are under the age of 18,
munist Party Central Committee’s international department in
North Korea. government and United
Nations officials say. More
Kim Jong Un meets than two million people In this photo taken Monday, March 12, 2018, South Sudanese
have fled South Sudan
refugee children gather near a water point in the Rhino refugee
high-ranking Chinese overall. Amid the fighting, settlement, near Arua, in northern Uganda. Associated Press
over 75,000 children have
diplomat in Pyongyang found themselves on their or alive. The brothers fled Beatrice Tumalu, now takes
own in Uganda and other to Uganda on the back of care of eight other children
neighboring countries, ac- a car after seeing their fa- who are not her own.
PYONGYANG, North Korea ties with China that have cording to the U.N. refugee ther’s body on a street in “I feel pity for them,” she
(AP) — North Korean leader deteriorated over North agency, separated from their village. After arriving in said, as she grew up under
Kim Jong Un has met with a Korea’s development of their families in the chaos Uganda they were taken to similar circumstances dur-
high-ranking Chinese dip- ballistic missile and nuclear or sent by their parents to a reception center run by ing the years that South
lomat in Pyongyang, amid weapons technology and relative safety. While many the U.N. refugee agency. Sudan fought for indepen-
a flurry of diplomacy fol- China’s enforcement of children have reunited Efforts to support the chil- dence from Sudan. That
lowing Kim’s recent surprise United Nations economic with relatives after cross- dren have been hurt by a independence was won
visit to Beijing. sanctions. Kim said during ing the border, others are recent scandal in Uganda in 2011, and South Sudan’s
Song Tao, who heads the his meeting with Song on matched by aid workers in which officials were ac- civil war broke out two
ruling Communist Party’s Saturday that he and Xi with foster families in an ef- cused of inflating refugee years later.
International Department, “reached important con- fort to minimize the disrup- numbers to siphon off aid The unaccompanied chil-
led an art troupe to Pyong- sensus” in Beijing, accord- tion in their lives. Without money. That has shaken in- dren have little of that aid
yang to attend an arts fes- ing to China’s official Xin- parents, some children are ternational donors. workers call psychosocial
tival, according to China’s hua News Agency. Song left vulnerable to exploita- Aid workers say resources support to help deal with
Foreign Ministry. Kim made agreed that the two lead- tion and abuse, aid work- are stretched thin as they trauma. In one refugee set-
an unannounced trip to ers had reached consen- ers say. Some teenagers try to place the unaccom- tlement just six case work-
Beijing last month ahead sus, and said China is willing find themselves the head panied children with foster ers are available for 78,000
of potentially breakthrough to work with North Korea to of their households, tak- families with close ethnic children, according to the
meetings with South Kore- safeguard peace on the ing care of siblings. One ties. Danish Refugee Council.
an President Moon Jae-in Korean Peninsula, Xinhua 16-year-old boy now takes It’s crucial to place chil- Another 16-year-old said
and U.S. President Donald reported. Kim is scheduled care of his younger broth- dren with families that his parents died three years
Trump. Kim’s trip, during to meet with Moon on April er. “My father was shot in speak the same language, ago in South Sudan. He
which he met with Chinese 27 in the Demilitarized Zone the war,” he said. “And said James Kamira, a child walked into Uganda last
President Xi Jinping, was that divides the Koreas. He then my mother, I don’t protection expert with the year and later was placed
considered an attempt to is expected to meet with know where she went.” He World Vision aid agency. with a foster family from an-
repair traditionally warm Trump in May or June.q doesn’t know if she’s dead One young mother of two, other ethnic group. q