The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced today that its offices and supplies in Leer in Unity State were looted “in the aftermath of fighting in and around the town last week.”
ICRC was the first aid organization to return to Leer. In a press release, the aid group said it had suspended activities in Leer a week ago. About 100,000 people also fled Leer, according to the Red Cross, but some are now slowly returning.
“Livelihoods have been destroyed and several houses burnt to the ground in Leer. Four vehicles and all the furniture in the ICRC compound were looted. The ICRC is now working to re-start its operations in the town,” reads the press release.
Daniel Littlejohn-Carrillo, the ICRC official in charge, said that the the situation in Leer is extremely serious. He said there were some wounded people, no medical care and lack of food and water.
The Red Cross cited the example of a woman named Nyajiok Ruai who had fled Leer with her 10 children. “The family had slept in the open; they drank bad water, had little food and were unprotected against malarial mosquitoes. When she returned to Leer she discovered that her home, made of mud and straw, and all its contents… had been burnt down.”
Another man, John Jal Riak, 23, slept in the “tall grass,” in a place eight hours by foot from Leer. He said that mosquitoes were the biggest problem and that people searched for water lilies and coconuts to eat.
At night, he covered himself with leaves. He is back in Leer now. “Yeah, now we are safe. The problem – we want to eat some food. The community is really suffering,” he said.
The ICRC said that it plans to fly food and other supplies to Leer on Tuesday, which will benefit roughly 6,000 people.
Photos credit: ICRC