Children in Yei River County have expressed concern over their future due to a food shortage that has dramatically effected education.
A young woman, Alice Grace, told Radio Tamazuj that the lack of food is affecting her studies.
“We have no food at home and this is affecting my studies so much and I am not sure if I will pass my exams this year,” Grace said.
She called on the government to restore peace to help her education. Another young woman, Joseph Saba, said access to food has become a problem.
“When traders are coming from the rural markets their food is taken away. I want to call on the government to open the roads and bring peace because we need to study and become future leaders,” she told Radio Tamazuj.
Since fighting in the capital of Juba in July, the Yei area has also experienced heavy clashes, and the road has not been secure. Moses Khamis, a teacher at Christ the King primary school, said the lack of food has affected the learning of the pupils in the area.
“While in classes they are no longer attentive,” Khamis said. “They say they are hungry and these days we are releasing them to go back home at launch hour to look for food while we also struggle to find our own food,” he explained.
Roda Amoyi, a mother to three children, said she can’t buy food because it has become too expensive to buy.
“I have nothing to afford for my children and I have no job to cater for my children. I don’t really feel happy to see that my children are complaining that they have nothing to take at school” she said.
Two weeks ago, churches in Yei River State called for an urgent mobilization of food, education materials, water and shelter to assist those in need.