By Jurugo Emmanuel Ogasto
South Sudanese refugees living in Palorinya settlement camp are being cautioned to stop consuming alcohol packaged in sachets as the banned deadly killer “City 5 Gin” unfit for human consumption liquor is reportedly being sneaked into refugee settlement camps.
The deadly City 5 Gin manufactured in Arua City that has already killed dozens of people in the City is said to be finding its way out of the City into other parts of West Nile region including refugee settlements.
Reports said the contaminated gin, packaged in sachets is on the move to unsuspecting communities in towns and refugee settlements in the West Nile region as unscrupulous business people have taken it upon themselves to sneak the gin to the communities for consumption again.
Block leader of Palorinya zone, Mr. Dramundu Samuel told the youths during youth engagement in agriculture on Thursday that many youths living in camps have become frustrated due to the economic crisis in Uganda which leads them to drink cheaper alcoholic spirits.
“They can’t afford beer then they go for these cheaper ones,” he said.
“I want you to be serious with your lives,” he cautioned the youth.
Dramundu appealed to the youths to beware not to buy and consume any alcohol packaged in sachets to avoid chances of falling victims of circumstance.
Simba Donato, an elder equally warned the youths not to dare touch and the City 5 Gin as he called for concerted efforts of leaders to mobilize and sensitize communities about the dangers of consuming the alcohol that Uganda Bureau of Standards has denied to have certified it for human consumption.
The Sub-County Chief of Itula Sub-County chief of Palorinya Anthony Odda said they are proactively following rumors about the City 5 Gin finding its way to refugee settlements.
He stated that a joint security committee comprising; Sub-County Security Committees and District Security Committee has escalated awareness about dangers of the alcohol to all Sub-Counties and Palorinya refugee settlement to ensure that Obongi district is a no go zone for the killer alcohol.
“These innocent refugees will just die because they do not know the negative impacts of this alcohol,” he noted.