By Bida Elly David
A Civil Society activist on Thursday admonished warring parties, communities and citizens to abstain from exploitation of starvation as a tool for promoting war and violence in the country.
This development came during a two day workshop subjected on starvation being an affirmative humanitarian issue on the lives of the citizens in most pretentious areas in the country and how it has impacted negatively to development.
In an exclusive interview with No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Edmund Yakani the Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) said that competition over agricultural land, exemption of citizens from farming, attacks on humanitarian organisations extending relief to affected citizens and violence and warring parties have become hindering factors that caused starvation to most communities in the country.
Furthermore, Yakani pointed out imposing of taxes on humanitarian trucks extending relief services has been one of the registered constraints that have also contributed passively towards destitution and starvation of many vulnerable citizens in the affected areas.
He underscored that despite the economic, cultural and political impediments the country has been facing, warring parties should exempt the perception of using starvation as a mechanism of war and conflict for restoration of everlasting peace.
In continuation, Yakani underscored that the current inter communal and political violence has so far sent many citizens hungry and malnourished due to lack of access to food security.
However, Yakani suggested that the parliament through relief and rehabilitation commission should designate a committee to go and assess the impeding situation facing the vulnerable people and come up with amicable solutions to overcome the calamities.
“I want to assure the public that the current inter communal and political violence has so far sent many citizens hungry and malnourished due to lack of access to food and food security. The parliament through relief and rehabilitation commission should designate a committee to go and assess the impeding situation facing the vulnerable people and come up with amicable solutions to overcome the calamities and our parliamentarians should start looking at starvation at all angles not basically on food security” he said.
In her part, Sarafina Desire one of the beneficiaries from the workshop stated that the recurring conflict in most parts of South Sudan have resulted into shortage food and food insecurity to most citizens especially women and girls who otherwise would not have been victims of such tragedies.
She urged policy makers and the community leaders to handle their disputes amicably for the betterment of women being concerned citizens of the country and mothers to children.
Sarafina echoed that war will not contribute positively to the development of a nation but rather should join hands to overcome hunger through promoting agricultural activities for the improvement of people’s standards of living.
“The recurring conflict in most parts of South Sudan have resulted into food insecurity to most citizens especially women and girls who supposed would not be victim to such tragedy. I call on policy makers and the community leaders to handle their disputes amicably for the betterment of women being concerned citizens of the country and mothers to children” she said.
She appreciated the facilitators for having familiarized them with the situation the country was facing.