The local authorities in Warrap State’s Tonj South County on Tuesday said internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Tonj South and Tonj East counties who are camped in Manyangok Payam are in urgent need of food and non-food items.
In May and June, the Thony, Yara, Muok, and Apuk-jurwiiir were involved in fighting, which displaced many households. Another deadly fight occurred in July when the Luachjang Community attacked the Jalwau Community of the Akok-Deng-Achuil Section. Security forces did not intervene to contain the fight during which Ngap-Agok Market, houses, and health facilities were torched, forcing many civilians to flee to Manyangok Payam in Tonj South County.
According to Maruon Bol, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) coordinator in Tonj South County, the IDPs from Tonj South County and Ngap-Agok in Tonj East County are in Manyangok Payam, living under harsh conditions, and the government has no resources to help them.
“In Manyangok IDPs camp, we have four sites hosting people displaced in May, June, and July and they don’t have shelter, food, and access to land for cultivation. The host community has not allocated lands to the IDPs,” he said. “There has been no intervention by both government and humanitarian agencies in terms of support for the IDPs, although an assessment was done in May with humanitarian partners, which found the sites of Manyiel Thony I with 390 households, Manyiel II has 275 households, and Akon-Chok with 600 Households.”
Bol added: “We also identified I85 households displaced from Tonj East County, and they are located in Abarkou and Mayom villages in the Manyang-ngok area, which borders Tonj East County.”
Meanwhile, Mariou Madut Anyar, the manager of the Manyangok IDPs Camp, called for immediate support as they faced health challenges.
“We are in Manyangok Payam and lack every essential item in the IDPs camp. Five families sharing one home, and we have many challenges as of now,” he lamented. “We don’t have food, shelter, and many people are exposed to mosquitoes, which has seen a rise in malaria cases.”
Madut called on the government and humanitarian organizations to urgently intervene and provide food, plastic sheets, and malaria drugs to the suffering children, elderly people, and pregnant mothers.