Thiel Deng Thiel, Wunlang county commissioner in the newly created Aweil East State has predicted a poor harvest as a result of multiple natural factors. Although the planting season went well, he said, the harvest is affected by unreliable rains.
Commissioner Thiel said his area will now be seeking relief assistance like other areas.
“This year our people cultivated well. You would find one family to have cultivated more than six feddans (a unit of area). This coming year was going to be a different in terms of hunger. It was going to be different from other years and if nothing had affected them (crops) and our people would not rely on relief assistance anymore, unfortunately the natural calamities have left in bewilderment.”
Speaking from Wanyjok, he commended the government and relief organizations in the area for assistance they offer.
“Our people are grateful to the government and the relief organizations for whatever assistance they get. They did well this year. They would indeed have been relying on their produces if rains, drought and floods did not destroy the work of their hands,” he said.
Thiel continued, “They planted a lot these years but these have been destroyed by drought due to unreliable of rains, because after the start of planting period in early May, the start not raining regularly. This affected germination of the seeds. When people started replanting in June and the new crop started growing, the flood came and submerged them.
File photo: A woman rests as her children take nutritional porridge in Unity State, 2016 (RT)