By Manas James
Thousands of returnees remained in dire need of humanitarian aid in Ayod County in Jonglei State, weeks after their arrival from Sudan.
War broke out between the Sudanese rival military factions on 15th April in the capital, Khartoum, and later spread to other parts of the country, forcing a large influx of returnees and refugees into South Sudan.
In an interview with No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Rebecca Nyiyen Samuel Gai, a representative of the returnees, said they are in a dire need of humanitarian aid.
“We started arriving since May without food or shelter,” she said. “Life is difficult. Imagine the difficult journey all the way home from a war zone only to stay in the open. We are really suffering without food or shelter.”
The community leader decried the situation and pleaded for aid.
“We are now without food. There is nothing at all. We are only thankful that we made it safely. So, we called on government and aid agencies to put up shelters for us.”
For his part, James Chuol Jiek, the Ayod County commissioner, said they received more than 3, 000 returnees whose conditions he said are dire, because of the lack of basic.
“When the war started in Sudan, we started receiving returnees. Since they arrived, we help settled them, but nothing is provided to them. We are engaging our partners so that they come to their aid,” he said.
Meanwhile, Stephen Kwac Biliu, the county Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) coordinator also pleaded for aid.
“We received a large influx of returnees. In Goak Payam, there are 557 households, Pagil Payam with 502 households, Mogoag with 607, Wau with 500 households, Khorwai with 14 households, Pagoang with 89 households, Pajiek with 257 households, Chokrimi with 432 households, and Kwachdeng with 370 households and 700 more returnees in Ayod town,” he said.
Biliu said the people were miserable and they needed food and shelter.
He added that there is also a need for measles campaign to rescue the lives of the children.