Thousands of South Sudanese voluntary returnees from refugee camps in neighboring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo are in dire need of humanitarian relief assistance in Kajo-Keji and Morobo Counties of Central Equatoria State.
Local government officials in Kajo-Keji County told Radio Tamazuj that over 40,000 voluntary returnees, mostly women and children, have settled in various parts of the county without access to food, clean water, shelter, and other essential non-food items.
The returnees were reportedly returning to South Sudan due to harsh living conditions in the refugee camps in the neighboring countries and the improving security situation in South Sudan.
Bishop Emmanuel Mure of the Episcopal Diocese of Kajo-Kei told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the returnees who are arriving daily to the county need emergency relief aid to re-start their livelihoods.
“At the moment there are a good number of returnees in Kajo-Keji County and there are a lot of people coming into South Sudan who are mostly women and small children and this calls for humanitarian support in terms of food, non-food items, clean water and medicines to be given to them,” Bishop Mure said.
Meanwhile, Taban Samuel, the Morobo County Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) coordinator said nearly 1,000 returnees who have voluntarily returned from DRC are in dire need of food assistance.
Taban said the returnees, mainly women and children, who started returning to the area on the 4th of January 2021 are camped in a primary school in Lujule Payam of Morobo County and but lack food and shelter.
“They are in Vura Primary School in Kembe Boma of Lujule Payam. A total population of 8,300 returnees is all congested in a primary school and there is a need for shelter, non-food items, food, and medicines. These returnees are mostly women, children, and the elderly,” Taban said.
Moses Dedi, a returnee from DRC told Radio Tamazuj that their living conditions are desperate in Lujule Payam.
“We are happy that we returned home because of mistreatment and hard living conditions in the Meri refugee camp in Congo. We returned home but all our houses have been burnt down and even iron-roofed houses destroyed. We are calling on the government and the NGOs to come to our rescue with food, water, tents, and medicines so that we can start another new life,” Dedi appealed.
Kajo-Keji and Morobo Counties of Central Equatoria state were badly affected by the 2016 political crisis which led to massive displacements, killings, and destruction of properties.