By Hou Akot Hou
An official at border town of Majok-Yithiou, Northern Bahr El Ghazal has reported an alarming trend of returnees fleeing back to Sudan due to dire conditions and lack of assistance.
Peter Wol Duang, the director for administration at Majok-Yithiou municipality, revealed in an exclusive phone interview on Friday that over two hundred returnees camping in the area have voluntarily chosen to return to Sudan in the face of starvation.
Duang attributed the situation to the insufficient humanitarian aid provided to the returnees.
He expressed concern that many of these returnees, who are originally from South Sudan, feel neglected and receive only limited assistance when registered by international partners.
This lack of support has forced them to make the difficult decision to go back to Sudan.
“Most of these returnees are feeling neglected as most of them are natives of this country but they chose to come stay here and when International partners register them they just give limited help and that is why they are fleeing back,” Wol said.
“There is no alternative we could embark on in order to block them from returning. They just think of going back, one by one and the number is increasing a lot. So it is worrisome as they lack essentials, food, good shelter and when they compare Sudan and here. They say better to return back,” he lamented.
Despite efforts to convince them to stay, the returnees adamantly refuse, expressing a preference to face the challenges of Sudanese refugee camps rather than remaining in South Sudan, where little to no attention is given to their needs, he said.
Duang made a plea to international organizations to prioritize the plight of the returnees.
He underscored the urgent need for increased attention and assistance to address the dire conditions they are facing.
The director’s call for action comes in the wake of a tragic incident where a visually impaired elderly person and three children, who are believed to be among the returnees, lost their lives in a fire at Majok-Yithiou on Wednesday.