Officials in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area have raised concerns about shortages in the region’s markets. Sam David, the information minister for GPAA, told Radio Tamazuj that the few food items currently available are too expensive for local residents to buy.
“Our road remained closed since April due to heavy rainfall and until now we are not receiving any food items from Juba,” he said. “But Pibor residents were depending on the food items brought in April and now they are finishing and it will be very hard to the people on the ground to reach dry season where goods could come through by road.”
A 50-kilogram bag of sugar now costs more than 2,000 SSP and a 50-kilogram bag of flour is going for 1,000 SSP in the market. Fifty liters of cooking oil costs 500 SSP. These prices are also inflated, he said, because the unfavorable exchange rate for the dollar, which means traders cannot transport anything by plane.
David said people are currently surviving on fish and cattle.