By James Innocent
Traders in Yei River County have lost goods estimated at over 1.7 billion South Sudanese pounds in the fire that gutted the market last week.
According to the county authorities, a committee was immediately formed to assess the damage and the losses suffered by the traders whose shops were reduced to ashes, including any cash they had on the premises.
Patrick Kenyi, a trader whose shop was located adjacent to the main market on Hai Jamia Street, recounted his desperate attempts to extinguish the fire.
“I tried to use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, but it didn’t work,” he said. “I started shouting for help, but no one came to rescue the situation as the fire continued to spread.”
Kenyi urged the government to provide fire trucks to the citizens of Yei, which is home to a large population.
He also advised business owners in Yei and across South Sudan to consider acquiring insurance to protect their livelihoods.
Lowuya Morish, a traditional leader, claimed that the fire might have been caused by traders using witchcraft to boost their businesses, a practice he condemned.
He appealed to the government and humanitarian partners to provide financial assistance to the victims, many of whom are now traumatized and struggling to recover from the devastating loss.
One of the affected traders, Mary Monday, who lost her mixed goods store and cash, expressed her resignation, saying, “A loss is a loss. I had lost a lot of money before the conflict, and now I’ve lost everything in this unknown fire. I’m just leaving it in the hands of God.”