By Alex Digi
The Internally Displaced Persons [IDPs] who fled from Conflict in Tambura last year are appealing for the State government to allocate them land for cultivation.
Last year, Tambura experienced inter communal violence where many lives were lost, over 100,000 people displaced, and Yambio is hosting more than 50,000 of IDPs.
On Tuesday this week, the Food and Agricultural Organization [FAO] and the state government launched the distribution of seeds and tools to farmers in the state which started with IDPs in Yambio.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, some IDPs who received the seeds and tools said they lack plot of land for cultivation, they called on the state government to allocate for them space for farming.
Mr. Jackson Midu, an IDP who received the seeds and tools said he is happy for what he has received but lacking space for farming.
“I am happy with the Government and NGOs for what we have received, so it will help us this rainy season, our challenge is only place where we are going to dig, if there is land given to us then we will produce our food for ourselves this year,” Jackson pointed out.
Another IDP said she heard of allocation of the land for them only during the launching of distribution but she has not seen it.
“I am called July, we are very happy the IDPs who fled from Tambura, have received seeds and tools today, we are happy for that, I will not eat them but I will plant them, and I only heard here that there is land for us but I don’t see, so we are asking our government to provide for us the land for cultivation,” July said.
Also Leticia, another IDP said they only get small space from the relatives in Yambio but will not be enough for them she said “I have received sorghum, maize and tools, so I am going to cultivate and plant those seeds, people are the ones helping us giving some land space to dig”.
Meanwhile during the launching of seeds and tools distribution by FAO in Yambio Freedom Square, the State Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Environment Alison Barnaba said the state government was going to allocate land for IDPs.
“This year, we the state government needs to improve the capacity of food production, we have our soldiers both SSPDF and SPLA-IO in Rangu, they did the best last year of which we needed them to do more this year, also our IDPs are coordinating with our chiefs and other local chiefs in the area to make sure they give them a piece of land for cultivation so that they can produce for themselves food” Alison said.
“We have agreed with His Majesty the King that this year we are going to engage the executive chiefs and traditional chiefs so that they encourage people to cultivate to have more food because we have two seasons in a year” the Minister added.