The Sudanese refugees encamped living in Aweil West County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State on Monday raised an alarm about food and drug shortages at the Wedwil Refugee Camp.
Since the war broke out in Sudan on 15 April between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), over 7,000 Sudanese refugees arrived in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Gadim Ismael, the deputy chairperson of the Sudanese refugees at Wedwil Refugee Camp, said each individual was given 7kg of sorghum at the beginning of the month which he says is insufficient
He has also decried the lack of medical services and vital medicines at the camp.
“We received food items on 1 August and we were informed that we would receive more assistance on August 15 but we were shocked after they changed the plan and said we will now get food at the end of this month,” lamented. “We are suffering because each family member gets 7kg of Sorghum which is too little to sustain a person for a whole month or even fifteen days.”
According to a young Sudanese male refugee, their representatives met with the relevant UN agencies who promised to support them but later reneged and no assistance arrived.
“We talked to and asked the staff of the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNCHR to support us and they said they would provide food and other assistance but nothing is happening up to now,” he said.
Aweil West County Commissioner Marko Majok Piol acknowledged the challenges the refugees are facing and said he had informed UNHCR.
“I heard about their complaints and presented their issue to the UNHCR whose staff said they would report the matter to Juba,” he said.