By Yien Gattuor
At least 20 people have died due to hunger-related situations that started two weeks ago in Panyijiar County of Unity State, local authorities said.
The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission Chairman Simon Kuol said the victims were lost to starvation and hunger-induced sicknesses.
“In greater Nyal, there were five elderly people who were not able to move. On the side of Marial, there are people who are suffering and some left to Amongapiny,” Kuol said.
“In greater Gany-liel, we have like 8 people, all are elderly who lost their lives because people are moving out of the area”.
Simon Kuol told No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on Wednesday that the area has severely been affected by hunger.
“We confirmed two death cases of hunger yesterday on Tuesday in greater Nyal,” he said.
Kuol attributed the cause of the hunger to the devastating impact of the four years of flooding in the area.
He said those who succumbed to the hunger include five elderly people, eight women, a mother and four of her children.
Simon Kuol said the siblings and their mother died while fleeing to the neighboring Yirol County of Lakes state.
He said their bodies were found in nearby bushes along the way to Lakes state.
“We have a number of women who lost their lives, and there is a mother who died with her four children after getting lost in the bush between Amonpiny and Panijiar” Kuol said.
“We don’t know if they were eaten by lions or wild animal and they are five in number, a woman and her four children” he added.
The official added that the situation was exacerbated by the scaling down of food assistance by the UN’s World Food Programme in June last year.
Kuol said most of the locals left the area for the neighboring counties in Lakes state.
He is now appealing to the government, the UN and humanitarian agencies to intervene in the situation in the area.
“I’m urging the UN, the World Food Program, and the UN agencies who are operating in South Sudan, in general to put their view in the area of Panijiar for the suffering our community is facing now”. “I am also appealing to the government of unity state to inform the Humanitarian aid agencies,” he said.