IOM呼籲延長南蘇丹人回家期限

The International Organization for Migration says it is not able to meet an April deadline to repatriate South Sudanese refugees in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

國際移民組織說，它無法在4月期限前將蘇丹首都喀土穆的南蘇丹難民送回家。國際移民組織正在努力進行談判將期限延長。

The International Organization for Migration is working to repatriate South Sudanese from the Sudanese capital Khartoum before an April 8 deadline for them to leave. But, IOM spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy tells VOA organizing the safe, dignified, voluntary return of hundreds of thousands of people by then is impossible.

國際移民組織正努力在4月8日期限前將蘇丹首都喀土穆的南蘇丹人送回家。但國際移民組織發言人喬茲對美國之音說，要在那之前將成千上萬的人安全、有尊嚴並自願地送回家是不可能的。

“It is a logistical nightmare," he said. "It is totally impossible to organize such large returns in such a short period of time. We are, therefore, advocating with other agencies for the 8th of April deadline to be extended to allow South Sudanese who want to leave to do so safely and in dignity. Or to open up some corridors between the North and the South, which would allow for spontaneous and organized returns within an extended deadline.”

喬茲說：“這是後勤噩夢。完全不可能在這麼短時間內組織這麼龐大的遣返工作。所以我們和其他機構都支持將4月8日期限延長，讓想回家的南蘇丹人能安全且有尊嚴地離開。我們也支持在蘇丹和南蘇丹間開一條通道，好讓在延長的期限內進行自發性而有組織的遣返。”

The governments of Sudan and the newly independent Republic of South Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 12. Under terms of the agreement, some one-half million Southern Sudanese still in Khartoum have until April 8 to choose between going home or remaining as refugees in the north.

蘇丹政府和新近獨立的南蘇丹政府在2月12日簽署了和解協議。在該協議之下，在蘇丹首都喀土穆的大約50萬南蘇丹人在4月8日前仍可以選擇回家或留在蘇丹當難民。

All ethnic southerners lost their jobs in the north before South Sudan gained its independence in July. So, it is expected that most will opt to leave. However, IOM notes those who wish to remain in Sudan need documents from South Sudan to apply for residence in the north. And, it says this is a very difficult and lengthy procedure.

在南蘇丹7月獲得獨立前，所有在蘇丹的南蘇丹人就失了業。所以估計大部分南蘇丹人都會選擇離開。 然而，國際移民組織注意到，那些想留在蘇丹的人需要南蘇丹發的文件來申請在北方居留。國際移民組織說，這是非常困難而漫長的程序。

The IOM already has helped move more than 23,000 people to South Sudan, mainly by barge. But, Sudan stopped the use of barges last month, stranding thousands of southerners who have been living in Kosti, a town by the Nile about 350 kilometers south of Khartoum.

國際移民組織已經協助2萬3千多人回去南蘇丹，大部分是靠接駁船。但蘇丹上個月停止使用接駁船，導致上千名住在庫斯提的南蘇丹人被困在當地。庫斯提是靠尼羅河的小鎮，在喀土穆南方350公里。IOM now is in the process of moving 1,400 refugees by train. This first group of South Sudanese returnees are traveling in a 60-carriage train. It is expected to arrive in Aweil and Wau in the Republic of South Sudan on March 10.

國際移民組織目前正用火車運送1千4百名難民。這些第一批迴到南蘇丹的人乘坐的是有60節車廂的火車。火車預計在3月10日抵達南蘇丹的阿維爾和瓦烏。

Spokesman Chauzy says on the way, the train will pick up 500 South Sudanese from Kosti railway station, where they have been living outside for six months. He describes the rail journey as extremely challenging.

國際移民組織發言人喬茲說，火車半路上會在庫斯提車站接走500名南蘇丹人。這些南蘇丹人已經在車站外住了6個月。他形容火車之旅的挑戰性非常高。

“One of the challenges that we are facing is that the returnees are taking with them huge amounts of personal luggage," he said. "The reason for that is that some of them were born in Sudan, in the Republic of Sudan, and they are literally going back with, in some cases, building materials. They are going back with household items, personal effects.”

喬茲說：“其中一個挑戰是，這些返家的人都帶了非常大量的個人行李。原因是他們其中一些是出生在蘇丹，一部分人還帶着建築材料回家。他們帶着居家用品和個人物品回家。”

During March, Chauzy says IOM will airlift extremely vulnerable individuals to Wau, Aweil and Juba. These include elderly and disabled people, pregnant women and people with serious medical conditions, who are not fit to travel on the trains.

喬茲說，國際移民組織將在3月空運一些極度脆弱的人到瓦烏、阿維爾和朱巴。這些人不適合坐火車，包括了年長者、殘疾人、懷孕婦女和健康狀況不佳的人。

However, he says the train and air returns will hardly make a dent in the number of people who must return to the South by April 8. For that to happen, he says it is absolutely critical that Sudan extend the deadline.

但他說，以火車和飛機載人對一定要在4月8日前返回南蘇丹的總人數來說根本是杯水車薪。他說，蘇丹將期限延長是至關重要的。