South Sudanese refugees and citizens from the Central African Republic (CAR) who fled violence there and arrived in the town of Deim Zubeir in Raga County in Western Bahr el Ghazal State are starving and lack medicine and shelter, local officials said.

Starting on 10 April, the first batch of over 200 South Sudanese returnees arrived in Deim Zubeir from CAR where they had sought refuge from conflict. They were followed a day later by 3,974 people comprising returnees, CAR, and Democratic of Congo nationals who reported that they were fleeing intercommunal violence in Eastern CAR.

According to Deim Zubier Payam Administrator Sheale Juma Sheale, the combined number of returnees and refugees is now 4,174, and more people are still arriving. He said the affected people are exposed to the elements and lack food.

“The community contributed what they have but the numbers keep increasing. The local community is also affected because their condition was already bad and with the additional arrivals, the situation in Deim Zubier is bad,” he said.  “The first group arrived on 10 April and we welcomed them and the community stood with them. The total number now 4stands at 4,174 individuals and this has increased the population.”

Juma said the returnees and refugees now eat wild fruits and appealed to the government and UN agencies to intervene.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, some of the returnees and refugees also appealed for assistance.

Easter Bilgu, a refugee from CAR, said that since they arrived in April, they have not received any food assistance.

“We left due to fighting and arrived in Deim Zubeir in April. We spent over 26 days on the road and since we arrived, we have been living in the open and been exposed to the rain which is not safe for children. At times up to 50 people have to share a shelter,” she lamented. “We are suffering and have been eating mangoes and now the mangoes are finished and I do not know what we are going to do.”

“We appeal to the UN to intervene and supply us with food, non-food items, clean drink water, and medication,” Bilgu added.

Meanwhile, the chief of the returnees, Ali Abakar, said that since they arrived, they received plastic sheets from UNHCR which are insufficient.

“The humanitarian situation has been bad since we arrived here on the 10 April. The NGOs come here and gave us a few plastic sheets which are not enough,” he said. “The number of people is too big and we do not have enough tents, medicine, and food,”

“We are depending on one hand pump and our situation is really bad,” Abakar added.