Authorities in Koch County of Unity State said they have raised 26 million South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) to aid in the resettlement of 900 households, equivalent to 5,857 returning individuals.
Ruot Riak Teny, the Director of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in the County, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the money will be allocated to 900 returning households that arrived from Sudan through the Nyaruop port.
“We began distributing the funds today to the returnees, with each household receiving 25,000 SSP,” Riak explained.
Over the past two weeks, local authorities in Koch County have been conducting fundraising activities to support the returnees who have come back from Sudan.
“The fundraising aims to assist returnees who lack food, and the funds we have mobilized will enable them to purchase food as they await humanitarian assistance,” Riak added.
He noted that the money was collected from eight payams, trade unions, women unions, and youth unions within Koch County.
“This is the first-ever fundraising event we have organized in Koch town, and we are now delivering the funds to the returnees so that they can purchase food for their families,” Riak mentioned.
He also expressed his gratitude to Koch County Commissioner Gorden Koang Biel Char for his support in mobilizing the funds for the returnees.
Balah David, one of the returnees in Koch County, confirmed that she has received the money from the donation.
“I am very thankful to our local authorities for providing us with the means to support our lives during this challenging period,” David expressed. “I received 25,000 SSP as one household, and I am among the returnees to whom 26 million South Sudanese Pounds were distributed yesterday.”
James Makuar Ruai, another returnee, mentioned that the government of Koch County has distributed some money to them since they fled the conflict in Sudan in April.
“We are grateful to the Koch residents who contributed during the fundraising in the last two weeks,” Makuar said. “The authorities in Koch County carried out the distribution of money yesterday, and it’s the first time the government has provided funds to returnees who arrived from Sudan through Renk-Malakal to Nyaruop and Bentiu via Rioriak Payam in Rubkona County. The 25,000 SSP given to me by the local authorities will be used for buying sorghum for seven days.”