Local officials and inhabitants of Alali Payam in Akobo County of Jonglei State have complained of hunger after spending months without food aid.

Alali Payam Administrator Peter Oballa Ojulu told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that a lack of rains has exacerbated the situation, which he said will worsen in the coming months if no aid reaches them.

“Alali is cut off from Akobo town and even the rest of the state. Since the war in 2013, we have not received any food aid or anything else from Bor or Juba,” he said. “The Anyuak people are agriculturalists, but a lack of rains is now causing suffering.”

The local official earnestly pleaded for aid.      

“People had prepared for farming as usual, but it rained just once, meaning all crops have dried up. Again, there is no hope for the next cultivation season because we also hear that there will be no more rain. So our appeal is that we are assisted with irrigation equipment so that our people can cultivate,” he said.

Meanwhile, Philip Omot Jook, the area’s paramount chief, said the situation is dire.

“Our situation here in Alali is not good. We have no food or health services because it has not been raining. We really want aid agencies to come to our aid by providing food, equipment, and seeds so that we can embark on irrigation. The population of Alali is about 300 households,” Philip said.

Also, John Okei Okei, a lawmaker in the state legislative assembly, appealed for aid and said their efforts to rescue the community failed because hiring an aircraft is costly.

“Honestly, the situation is not good because it has not been raining. No services have been reaching our people from either government or aid agencies. Last month, we appealed for people injured in an attack to be airlifted, but there was no response until we lost one person while being carried on a stretcher to Ethiopia. So, now for the situation to be rescued, we appealed to UNMISS and aid agencies to intervene by even just sending their flight to Alali so that we supply our people back home,” he said.

According to reports by aid agencies, more than 7.8 million people in South Sudan are projected to fall short of their minimum food needs in 2023. This is a substantial increase from the 6.3 million people who faced food insecurity in 2022.