The South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) said over 3,000 people displaced by intercommunal fighting in Tonj North County of Warrap State have received food assistance.
More than 25,000 people from Tonj North County are reported to have been displaced by inter-communal fighting to territories of the neighbouring Gogrial East County in recent months.
Last week, some of the IDPs who recently fled the scene of fighting told Radio Tamazuj that they have been feeding on wild leaves and fruits since they escaped fighting last month.
The coordinator of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Gogrial East County, Yuot Deng Yuot, said the internally displaced people (IDPs) stationed at Luonyaker, Majak Tiit, and Mayom Biong have received assorted food items, including sorghum, lentils, oil, and salt, from humanitarian partners operating in the state.
“The number in the three places where the IDPs are is; at Majak Tiit there are 1,317 households and in Mayom Biong there are 608 households and in Luonyaker there are 1,218 households. This is the number verified and currently receiving the food, one household is assumed to hold 6 people according to estimates and rules of the WFP,” Yuot said.
He says IDPs are yet to receive nonfood items from the partners.
Fosia Joseph, one of the IDPs camped at Luonyaker, confirmed receiving food items. She said the food assistance is a relief to their plight after weeks without food but added that the food given can only last about a week for the large families and that there is a need for more. According to her, the most pressing issue is the lack of sleeping materials and cooking utensils.
“We are given food, 9 bags are given to ten people plus a bag of lentils, a gallon of oil for two people, and salt. The food situation is good but we don’t know what will happen in the days to come because if you have many children this food will get finished within 6 days,” Fosia said. “The serious thing currently is something to use for sleeping, nothing to cover up yourself, people sleep on the ground. Also, items to use for cooking food are not there, the only way is to borrow cooking utensils from the host community.”
The displaced mother appealed to humanitarian organizations and stakeholders to assist IDPs with sleeping materials and cooking utensils.
Majok Guot, another IDP based at Luonyaker admitted that food support given to them has improved their condition but noted that IDPs still lack water, sleeping materials, and utensils.
He also stated that people who arrived later due to continuous deterioration of security situations back home lacked food and that they are now sharing the food they received with the new arrivals.
“Our situation is better but we don’t have sleeping items. Food is available but what to use to cook it is what is not there, this is because we left our homes without sleeping materials and plates and cooking utensils. Besides, water is not available. Help us with water and utensils for eating,” According to Guot. “There is an influx of more people because problems are still on the rise, there are people who came yesterday and some came the previous day, those people who came late found the registration done and they are now getting assistance from some of us who have been assisted.”
He appealed to RRC and humanitarian partners to verify and assist the people who have recently arrived in the area with food and non-food items.
Angelo Akuith, the director of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Warrap State said arrangements to avail non-food items, water, and sanitation supplies to IDPs are underway.
“The WASH partners are also going today with items which are also going to be distributed to all people who are affected and identified, then it will be followed by NFI partners who will be going on date 5 within this week for verification and then deliver these nonfood items to the IDPs who have been displaced and we have already talked with some clusters, especially health cluster, to deliver the medicines to health facilities in Luonyaker and also in Mayom Biong such that the IDPs have access to health facilities,” Ahuith said.