The local authorities in Jonglei State’s Pigi County have said 543 individuals are in a dire situation without food and shelter after fleeing insecurity in the SPLM/A-IO-controlled Khorwai Payam.
The county commissioner, Suleiman Deng, told Radio Tamazuj that the displaced population arrived in Mat, a government-controlled area, on Monday and appealed for humanitarian support for them.
“We received 543 individuals from Konliet and Ayok in Khorwai Payam on Monday. These people are in a dire situation. During our visit, food and shelter were lacking,” he said. “As a county, we lack the means of supporting them because our livelihoods were destroyed by the floods. Our appeal is that aid agencies should come to their aid.”
“These people arrived with nothing because their belongings were looted by rebels,” Commissioner Deng added.
For his part, Monyngok Abil Arop, the county Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) coordinator, also appealed for aid.
“These people are in a dire situation. They arrived empty-handed only to be welcomed to a hunger-stricken area,” he stated. “These people are estimated to be more than 500, but we have yet to conduct an assessment as the RRC.”
Meanwhile, Ayen Arop, a resident of Pigi, said their situation is hopeless.
“We appeal that we are urgently assisted,” she said. “The humanitarian situation has already been dire, only to be compounded by these new arrivals. Our appeal is for intervention.”