Residents of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) capital, Pibor town, have complained about the increase in prices of basic commodities.
As of this week, the prices for a bag of sugar and flour and a 20-liter jerrycan of cooking oil doubled twofold from SSP 30,000 to 60, 000.
Several residents who spoke to Radio Tamazuj said basic commodities were now scarce in the market and expensive when available.
“There is a problem of hunger. As you know, trucks have not been coming from Juba since the beginning of this year,” Piobor resident Abeyo John said. “Recently, supplies through Kapoeta were also disrupted and that is why items like beans and flour are depleted.”
Another resident, Nyany Korok, said: “Goods are only in Pibor town and they are scarce. Traders supply goods to Pibor by air and they are charged SSP 1,200 per kilogram by the airliners.”
The residents called on the government to address commodity shortages and price hikes before the situation worsens.
Meanwhile, Zechariah Anyeboy, an official with the GPAA chamber of commerce, confirmed that goods are expensive in Pibor because traders charter planes to bring in supplies.
“Our prices have remained stable for the last two months. The problem facing traders is that there is no market because residents have not been able to sell their cattle in Juba due to insecurity,” he explained. “But of course, we are anxious because our roads are cut off.”
For his part, Balla Mathuoth, the Pibor County commissioner, said there is a rise in commodity prices across Pibor which he said is worsening the already dire humanitarian situation there. He called on the aid agencies operating in the country to come to their aid saying government resources are overstretched.