- At least 21 Eritrean and Somali refugees are feared to have drowned when their overloaded boat capsized in a river in east Sudan, United Nation refugee agency (UNHCR) said yesterday.
The group was part of a larger group of four boats crossing Atbara river at night to evade police checkpoints in early hours of Tuesday morning as government regulations stipulate that refugees must remain in camps and receive assistance there.
According UNHRC four Eritrean men managed to swim to the bank of Atbara river and a Somali woman survived by clinging to a floating log, but 21 others including eight women and three children were missing since Tuesday morning.
"One of four boats meant to carry 15 passengers at most, but packed with 26, capsized some 600-700 metres (yards) from shore," rights agency statement said.
One of the survivors, said refugees paid $100 each for smugglers to take them from Shagarab refugee camp in eastern Sudan's Kassala state to capital Khartoum, where they hoped to find work.
"This tragic incident highlights the plight of refugees in eastern Sudan and the inherent risks of smuggling people," statement said.
None of 21 missing people has been accounted for, although UNHCR said arrangements have been made for a dignified burial of the bodies, when they are recovered.
According to UNHCR, poor living conditions and absence of any prospects, compel refugees, including women and children, to embark on dangerous journeys.
Survivors said they had paid around 100 dollars for a safe passage from Shagarab refugee camp to Khartoum. The missing bodies have yet to be recovered and identified.
Some 130,000 refugees live in eastern Sudan, mainly from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, according to UNHCR.
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