Authorities in Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State have raised concerns over the influx of street children from neighboring towns of Aweil and Kuajok in recent days, saying they pose a security threat in the state capital Wau.

According to Anne Daniel Ali, the Director-General in the Ministry of Child and Social Welfare in the state, the number of street children in Wau is about 1,000, and that most of them are new arrivals from neighboring states.

“These children are not staying in one place, they keep moving from place to place. They are at an average of 1,000. You cannot estimate their maximum number, they always ranging from 1,000 below, and sometimes you can understand that they are not available. Sometimes you find the number has raised high because the markets are very large,” Ali said.

She said her ministry is concerned about the issue and they will soon meet with officials from the neighboring states of Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal and Warrap to discuss ways to address the plight of the street children. 

“These children are on the street and they have become a problem among themselves. They are stealing things in the markets. So as such, we decided, as states, to sit together to decide on what could be done to address this situation,” said Ali.

Some of the children who spoke to Radio Tamazuj on Monday said they decided to go on the street because of difficulties in getting food at home.

A 10-year-old boy who identified himself as Malith said he came from Aweil town and had been surviving on the street in Wau since 2019. He said life on the street is tough but he had no options.

“I am just collecting empty bottles and selling them. Last month I managed to raise 10,000 SSP from this business but my money was stolen at the place we sleep and right now I started from zero,” Malith said.

Another one identified as Chol said at times hunger drives him to steal.

“Am not a thief but if I don’t have anything at all in my hands to eat, this is the time that I can steal anything and the following day I feel very sorry and feel I will not repeat it,” Chol said.