By James innocent
Ongoing economic crisis in South Sudan has exerted extreme impact on returnees from Uganda, forcing many to adopt diverse survival mechanisms.
Among the most vulnerable are women, who are now turning to the production of local alcohol, known as Mokoyo, as a means of sustenance.
Ninsha Gale, a returnee from Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe district, Uganda, recounted her ordeal.
She lost her husband and children during the 2016 conflict and has faced enormous hardship since returning to South Sudan.
“My condition is worse here in South Sudan compared to the life in Uganda, I have been doing business in Uganda but when I came to South Sudan life changed hard on me having nothing to buy food in the market because things are very expensive, I lost all my children during the war including my husband now am brewing alcohol in other to survive because no one is really helping me in this condition,” she mentioned.
Gale’s story is not unique. Many returnees are struggling to reintegrate into South Sudanese society, dealing with poverty, unemployment, and a lack of basic services.
The high cost of living, fueled by inflation and currency devaluation, has further compounded their challenges.
Kennedy Lasu Michael, a local resident of Yei, called on the government to prioritize the provision of social services in rural areas.
He added that “we need schools, hospitals, roads, and markets to improve the lives of both returnees and host communities.
He advised both returnees and host communities to put agriculture as the first priority as a way of fighting hunger in society because the prices of things have gone higher.