Trucks loaded with food items donated by the South African government have safely reached South Sudan’s Yei River State, a local relief official said.
Obed Taban, chairperson of the state relief commission, told Radio Tamazuj Friday that the donation will benefit vulnerable people in rural areas.
“The food donation sent to us was 34 metric tons of sorghum, 34 metric tons of beans and 3,400 tins of cooking oil. This donation will go to the vulnerable population such as the elderly, pregnant women and the children in the 13 counties of Yei River State,” Obed said.
He, however, said the donation was too little to meet the growing number of the vulnerable internally displaced persons and returnees.
“The food is too little. At the moment, we have over 60,000 returnees who arrived in Yei since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement and in Kajo-Keji alone, we have received over 20,000 returnees for the last three months apart from other IDPs,” Obed said.
“We are calling on the national government to lobby for more food and non-food items for the people of Yei River State,” he added.
Recently, a delegation from South Africa donated food items for the vulnerable households affected by civil war in South Sudan. The South African deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Candith Mashego Dlamini led the delegation.