Situation of refugees in the Sudan: resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

A/RES/43/141

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 42/129 of 7 December 1987 and its other previous resolutions on the situation of refugees in the Sudan,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 42/129 and the action taken by the concerned organizations, and the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

Expressing its appreciation for the efforts made by the Government of the Sudan for the reception of the refugees and the provision of protection, shelter, food, health, education and other humanitarian services to the ever increasing number of refugees who have been crossing the borders into the Sudan since the early 1960s,

Recognizing the heavy burden shouldered by the people and the Government of the Sudan and the sacrifices they are making in acting as host to more than one million refugees, who constitute approximately 7.5 per cent of the total population of the country,

Concerned that the great majority of the refugees have spontaneously settled in various urban and rural communities throughout the country and are thus sharing the already meagre resources and services allocated to the indigenous population,

Expressing grave concern at the devastating and far-reaching effects of the successive calamities, ranging from the 1984 drought to the heavy rains and floods and the locust infestations, that have afflicted the country, thus exacerbating the already deteriorating situation resulting from the presence of this great number of refugees,

Gravely concerned also that the Government of the Sudan, besides dealing with the difficult prevailing economic and social problems, has the additional task of taking care of more than 1.5 million nationals displaced as a result of the 1984 drought, the civil strife in the southern part of the country and the rains and floods of August 1988,

Recognizing the serious task undertaken by the Government of the Sudan to initiate a wide-ranging rehabilitation programme to redress the impact and damages incurred by the natural disasters,

Considering those serious circumstances, which render the Government of the Sudan less prepared than ever to meet its obligations to its own people, and the more serious consequences, which affect the capacity of the Government of the Sudan to receive and grant asylum to additional numbers of refugees,

Expressing its appreciation for the assistance rendered by Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in support of the refugee programme in the Sudan,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of refugees in the Sudan and expresses its appreciation for the appeal made by the Secretary-General to Member States and the appropriate organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations;

2. Takes note also of the report submitted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and in particular of the new trends identified in the area of refugee aid and development;

3. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner, donor countries and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations for their efforts to assist the refugees in the Sudan;

4. Expresses grave concern at the serious and far-reaching consequences of the presence of massive numbers of refugees in the country on the security and stability of the country and the overall negative impact on its basic infrastructure, which arrests the socio-economic development of the whole country;

5. Also expresses grave concern at the shrinking resources available for refugee programmes in the Sudan and the serious consequences of this situation for the country's ability to continue to act as host and provide assistance to refugees;

6. Appeals to Member States, the appropriate organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the international financial institutions to provide the Government of the Sudan with the necessary resources for the implementation of development assistance projects in regions affected by the presence of refugees;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to mobilize the necessary financial and material assistance for the full implementation of ongoing projects in the areas affected by the presence of refugees;

8. Requests the High Commissioner to continue co-ordination with the appropriate specialized agencies in order to consolidate and ensure the continuation of essential services to the refugees in their settlements;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the implementation of the present resolution..