Yei IDPs in dire need of food assistance

Yei River County of Central Equatoria State Member of Parliament, Peter Lomude, has raised concerns over the biting hunger in the area.

Lomude called on the government, UN agencies and well-wishers to intervene to salvage the deteriorating humanitarian situation faced by IDPs now sheltering in the church compound in Yei.

In an interview with The City Review yesterday, Lomude said the area last received humanitarian assistance in July.

“Nothing has come on their way for nearly four months now, they had been dependent only on insufficient food donations from people of goodwill.”

Lomude reiterated that the children and the elderly people were the most affected by the situation since they could hardly survive without food.

“They received assistance in July, four months now, they have not received anything. They have been surviving through small contributions from people of goodwill, if someone brings a sack, they normally share among themselves, but now things are very difficult,” he said.

“I made some attempts to meet with the ministry of humanitarian affairs if there is a way they can be helped but did not succeed.

 “I also talked to RRC at the level of the state but they did not get back to me. I am still following up with them to see if they can help these displaced persons in Yei.”

He said that the total number was 329 from 64 households. He added that IDPs escaped insecurity and they were unable to provide for themselves as before.

Call for return

In May, these IDPs urged the government to expedite the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) to return them to their deserted homes.

They expressed their need for food and decent shelter which has not been met to date.

The Acting Executive Chief of Ombasi Buma in Yei, Michael Tan Jackson, said urgent intervention would help them from sliding into dangers of the wet season.

“My message to non-governmental organisations and government as well is that they should at least help these people with food.

 “I am appealing to the government to engage the holdout groups to stop fighting so that IDPs can go back to their respective homes,” Jackson said.

“We need peace because peace is a guarantee to this problem we are facing at the moment. Since then, we have been hearing about peace, peace and up to now, we don’t know where that peace is,” he stressed.

Jackson said their property was looted by criminals leaving them to sleep in open space which exposed them to rain and sun heat.