Hundreds of people from Nyin Buoli payam in Aweil West County are trekking toward Raja in search of food. Hyenas have attacked three children of the group, killing one and wounding two.
The travelers told Radio Tamazuj while en route that they were hoping to find food in Raja County. They said that they had not cultivated well during the rainy season owing to fears of insecurity.
Migrants described wild animals as the biggest danger of the journey. Amel Kuel Kuel, a mother of six children, said that her third-born girl as well as a boy and girl of a neighbour were attacked two days ago by a group of hyenas.
One died and other two others are now in critical condition. There is no health centre where they can be taken for the treatment because they are in the bush.
“We have spent seven to eight days on the way to Raja county town,” she said.
“There are a lot of challenges we get on the way like thirst because there is no water, malaria cases, three days without food day and night, seven to eight days without taking bath or shower, sleeping under the trees. But good enough we move as a group.”
Some of the travelers blamed the state government for failing to allocate farm land to normal citizens who farm using traditional methods. They also said that they had been prevented from gathering grasses, a livelihood they had practiced done in earlier years, because of new controls by wildlife authorities.
According to the travelers, a group that went ahead of them a week ago faced similar challenges. They lost a baby and woman, the woman reportedly of malaria and the baby of a fever suspected to be measles.
Payam authorities of Nyin Buoli confirmed that a number of people are moving to Raja County in search of food. He said that the govenment is not responsible for providing food to every citzien in the county, but only to vulnerable people.
File photo