By Hou Akot Hou
Chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) in Northern Bahr El Ghazal State has announced that 83 brick laying machines will be provided to returnees and vulnerable host communities.
This is meant to assist them in establishing permanent structures, returnees have been occupying public facilities such as schools and churches.
Benson Lual Awach announced on Monday, stating the issue of homelessness faced by hundreds of thousands of returnees arriving from Sudan amidst ongoing unrest.
“We have received brick laying machines which will be given to the returnees and we have a volition and policy to tell them that use the machines well so that you lay the bricks and build your permanent tukuls and vacate the installations like schools and churches where you reside,” he stated.
Awach urged returnees to use them to lay bricks for their permanent homes.
In addition to providing shelter, Awach noted that the returnees could also sell some of the bricks they produce, creating a potential source of income.
“This, however, will eventually result in business for them as some people will go to where there are hafiirs or pools and get water for bricks and lay bricks for sale. As there is a Hafiir in Maper-Akot –aru and other sites in the counties which Road Construction companies dug they can use those water points and lay bricks for a living through business by selling some surplus bricks,” he advised.
He mentioned specific locations, including Maper-Akot-aru, where returnees can find water points dug by road construction companies to aid in their brick production.
Awech indicated that both returnees and vulnerable host communities will undergo a verification process to qualify for the distribution of the brick laying machines, which will take place across all five counties in Northern Bahr El Gazal State.
However, RRC officials did not specify a timeline for when the distribution would commence, noting that plans are still being finalized in collaboration with the county commissioners of all five counties.
Since the unrest erupted in Sudan between the warring factions, RSF and the sovereign council, thousands of returnees and refugees have been flocking into South Sudan which is also grappling with its own economic challenges.