Thousands of internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Melut County of Upper Nile State have been left homeless and hungry after floods hit parts of the county since last month.
The displaced, mainly women and children, have since 2014 been in Melut’s Dentima IDP Camp after fleeing their homes in Pigi County of Jonglei State following the outbreak of civil war in the country.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj over the weekend, Arop Deng, the camp’s deputy chairperson, said nearly 3,000 people fled their makeshift shelters without food and access to basic healthcare services after the White Nile burst her banks and flooded the camp in late July.
“2,800 people have already left for a camp located along the road which leads to Paloch town. Three blocks of the camp, including the school, have been hit by these floods. Those who left and the over 6000 people who are still with me here are in dire condition,” he explained.
The camp leader added, “There is no food and shelter and even access to health care services because the health agency which has been running our health facility left over a month ago after its term ended.”
Antony Tuong, another displaced person said the situation will deteriorate if there is no urgent intervention and called on the government and aid agencies operating in the country to come to their aid.
For his part, Deng Joh Angok, the Melut County commissioner, said: “The situation, not only in Dentima but other IDPs camp across the county, is not good because they have been affected by the floods since they are in low lying areas. As we speak, I am now with the camp leaders to discuss our intervention and where and how we could relocate those affected.”
The county official called on the aid agencies to intervene, saying they are unable to adequately meet the needs of the flood-affected as they are overstretched.