Nearly 1,000 South Sudanese who recently returned from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are in dire need of humanitarian assistance in Morobo County of Central Equatoria State, local official said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Hillary Yoseke, the county administrator said the returnees were forced to leave their hideouts at the DRC-South Sudan border due to conflict and displacements within the refugee settlements.

He revealed that the returnees lack food, medicines and shelter. “We have 252 households with a total population of 952 individuals. They lack food, medicines, shelter, non-food items and they are living in desperate conditions. I have reported this issue to the government to provide humanitarian rescue for children whose parents moved from the DRC to South Sudan,” said Yoseke.

The local official said the returnees are currently congested in church compounds, putting them at risk from the novel coronavirus.

“I am afraid because they are congested and settled in a church building. As you know, Morobo is very cold and people are staying in one building,” he said.

Yoseke urged humanitarian partners operating in Yei River County to urgently make a humanitarian response plan in Morobo. “I am urgently requesting NGOs [non-governmental organizations] to come to Morobo to support the people in dire need of food, shelter and other non-food items,” he said.