By Hou Akot Hou
Returnees who fled Sudan’s conflict and returned to South Sudan received non-food items, on Tuesday, at Wanyjok in Aweil East County of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State.
Christian Initiative for Restoration Development Agency (CIRDA)and Samaritan’s Purse both faith-based organizations donated the non-food items.
Speaking to this outlet, Aluat Garang, one of the returnees expressed gratitude to receive the items.
“I am happy to have received the non-food items from CIRDA, which got the items from Samaritan’s Purse. It is a great relief,” she said.
Ms. Aluat, who laments of living with children and relatives in a house, which doesn’t fit, received plastic sheets, a blanket, soap and cooking utensils.
“Now some of the relatives don’t want to share their sleeping materials with us because we ran away from the conflict zone. I am so glad to have received the items,” added Ms. Aluat.
Another returnee, Garang Diing, who hails from Pan-apuoth village, said that he didn’t know that the church would be the one to give them support.
“We were registered, and we never knew that the support would come in such numbers. This is great support from the Samaritan Purse and the local NGO known as CIRDA,” said Diing.
One of the CIRDA staff, Mr. Akot Deng Kur said they were working to ensure other returnees who have missed out on the distribution of the items will be given in due course.
Northern Bahr el Ghazal is hosting thousands of refugees and returnees, with authorities pledging to integrate them, despite the economic hardship faced by their relatives.