By Bida Elly David
Hunger-stricken citizens on the outskirts of Juba are surviving by consuming expired goods and garbage leftovers at dumping sites amid economic hardship.
At the checkpoint dumping site along the Juba-Yei-Kaya highway, the poor have found life in unfit foods.
In a testimony to this outlet, the starving citizens revealed their gruesome survival on the expired and substandard commodities they collect from the disposal areas and the dumbing ground.
South Sudan National Bureau of Standards official even bear witness to the miserable situation of the most disadvantaged in our society.
It was vivid during their recent visit to burn over 10,000 metric tons of expired food and non-food items, at the dumping site.
The residents of Kudarata, west of Juba City’s outskirts, struggled to put out the fire when the Bureau of Standards set the expired goods ablaze.
After vain attempts to extinguish the fire, the poor residents hauled angrily at the officials, saying they had been feeding on the disposed commodities for ages, and it was the only way that kept them alive.
Speaking to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Mary, a resident of the area who equally struggled like the rest, to get a portion of the unfit goods, said it was better to eat expired food than to die of starvation.
According to Mary, subsistence farming used to be the only activity they carried out, but due to a shortage of rainfall this year, they were unable to cultivate.
“We are not happy seeing the government burn these goods that help us and our children to survive. It is better to feed on trashed goods than steal; therefore, our children will prosper,” she lamented.
Mary said there are plenty of commodities on the market, but inflation and a lack of finances prevented them from accessing them.
She added that they have been surviving on the garbage for over 10 years without any medical condition on either their parents or their children.
“Here we live by the graces of God, and none of us or our children have fallen sick since we started consuming them (expired goods), “Mary reiterated.
She added that “if the government can sympathize with us, let them come and see our suffering, feeding on expired goods brought by them and burned in front of us.”
Meanwhile, a tearful Peter, a 17-year-old teenage boy, said they always rejoiced on seeing trucks bringing expired goods to the site while sorrow overtakes their lives when no goods are dumped.
“We are like refugees in camps; when we see dumping trucks coming, we start jubilating because seeing the expired goods being brought is like humanitarian relief being brought to us,” Peter said while in tears.
However, South National Bureau of Standards’ Chief Executive Officer, Mary Gordon Muortat pitied the situation of the poor citizens at the dumping site, noting that they really needed support.
Muortat said it was sad that National Bureau of Standards tried to control the residents against consuming the products, but the people remained adamant and descended of the garbage after the government team left.
“Those people are South Sudanese and need our help. The situation they are in is really touching,” pitiful Muortat lamented.
The SSNBS boss said the city council ought to find ways through which the people should be helped because it has taken so long.
Mrs. Muortat noted that South Sudan is facing a difficult moment, saying citizens ought to be careful of their health and avoid consumption of toxic goods.
“We, as the national bureau of standards, care much about our people, and consuming those expired goods is bad for our health.” She said, “We should avoid insisting on doing things that will harm us.”
Ms. Muortat, however, vowed that SSNBS will continue fighting for the health of the citizens and advocate for assistance for those facing hardship and surviving on garbage at the dumping site.
She didn’t promise any assistance to those vulnerable groups but rather assured them that she would forward their plight to organisations of good will to intervene in such a catastrophic situation.