The authorities in Western Equatoria State’s Ezo County have confirmed the arrival of more than 52,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled Tambura County due to renewed insecurity and armed conflict.
Martin Siani, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) Coordinator in Ezo County, told Radio Tamazuj that since 22 June, about 2,812 households have been registered, and more IDPs continue to arrive daily.
“The situation of these people is very critical. Most of them are women and children who came during the peak of the rainy season. They lack food, medicine, shelter, and clean drinking water,” he explained. “Boreholes are broken and need urgent rehabilitation. Women have no sanitary pads, and malnutrition among children is on the rise.
Siani appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance for the displaced.
For her part, Luiz Agiba, the chairperson of the displaced people, told reporters that families are facing extreme hardship.
“Our people are sleeping under trees without shelter, food, or blankets,” she lamented. “Children are crying from hunger. We are appealing to the government and partners to intervene and support us.”
Another IDP who preferred anonymity said that he fled Tambura after intense fighting near the UNMISS base made it impossible to remain there.
Ezo County Commissioner Col. Abel Sudan confirmed that IDPs are now settling in Central, Bariguna, and Bagidi payams, straining available resources.
“From 2024 to 2025, we have registered over 52,000 IDPs in Ezo County. The health situation is deteriorating, and many are suffering from malaria and typhoid due to unsafe water,” he said. “The elderly, pregnant mothers, and young children are the most affected. We urgently need food, non-food items, and agricultural tools to support them.”
Commissioner Col. Sudan added that the security situation in Ezo County remains calm despite the influx of displaced people, but warned that without timely humanitarian intervention, the crisis could worsen.