The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has registered 5000 households of internally displaced persons in Pibor County of Jonglei state after ‘intensive negotiations’ resulted in the opening of the county to aid organizations.

“Clashes between government forces and non-state armed actors, as well as renewed inter-communal violence, have emptied towns and displaced thousands of households who are now seeking refuge in unknown locations or areas that are difficult to access due to a combination of insecurity and roads made impassable by heavy rains,” the organization said in press release.

IOM is currently leading the registration of people displaced by conflict in remote areas of Pibor County. The registration will be used to determine the scale of response and identify particularly vulnerable families.

The registration exercise has now been completed in Dorien, according to IOM, where 2,948 households were identified. Registered families will receive plastic sheets, blankets, and mosquito nets supplied, in addition to food, soap, buckets and jerry cans, all of which must be flown in by helicopter.

A second exercise is ongoing in Labrab, where more than 2,000 households have already been registered and more are expected to arrive in the coming days from nearby areas. Food distributions are currently being carried out in Labrab based on registration data.

IOM acknowledged that it has yet to begin registration in other affected areas, including Gumuruk, where there are estimated to be 15,000 more displaced people.

File photo: Displaced people in Pibor, Jonglei State, January 2012 (OCHA/Cecilia Attefors)