Famine has driven an estimated 400 individuals to trek from Eastern Equatoria State’s Ikotos County to neighboring Kenya in search of food, local authorities said.
According to local sources, poor rains and resultant drought have led to the wilting of crops and dimmed the prospects of a good harvest in the area.
Earlier this month, a pregnant woman who was fleeing Ikotos to Kenya gave birth in Nadapal and later died due to lack of food.
Nicolas Odwa, the coordinator of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Ikotos County, confirmed to Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that indeed hundreds of people are walking to refugee camps in Kenya on foot to escape hunger.
“There has been little rain here and people’s crops in the farms dried up, especially in the payams of Chorokol and Chahari, there is no rain completely and there is severe hunger in these areas. It is true that they, about 400 people, went to Kenya on foot,” he explained. “On 3 July, a pregnant mother who was traveling with her family, upon reaching Nadapal, gave birth but due to lack of food, she died.”
Odwa added: “Some people have left their villages and relocated to Ikotos Town but there is no food here too.”
Meanwhile, Ohisa Peter, an SPLM legislator in the state parliament who hails from Kideopo Payam, confirmed the movement of people fleeing hunger from Chahari, Chorokol, Ramula and Otome to Kenya and asked the government to intervene.
“It is true that most crops dried up, especially in Chorokol because there was no rain. I am appealing to the government and humanitarian agencies to intervene because people have deserted their homes,” he said. “Those without relatives are now moving to Kapoeta and Ikotos and others are going to Uganda and Kenya.”
For his part, Claudio Siliman, a community leader of the Logir people, urged the State Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) to convene an emergency partners’ coordination meeting to address the issue of the unfolding disaster.
“The number of people fleeing the area is increasing because most gardens have dried up. We are appealing to RRC because people are now leaving the area to look for other survival ways,” he stated. “I am appealing to the government to talk to humanitarian agencies to come and assist the people with emergency interventions.”
When contacted, the Eastern Equatoria State Chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), Okuma John, declined to comment.