Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The government of Eastern Equatoria State raised concerns over the worsening humanitarian situation in the area after four people starved to death.
The affected areas include Kapoeta East County, the area around the Nadapal border, and Yagi of Lafon County.
This prompted the area governor, Louis Lobong, to call for a crisis meeting on Thursday with the humanitarian agencies operating in the state.
In his address to the NGOs, Lobongo appealed for urgent help to rescue the situation and save the communities in the affected areas.
The food insecurity in the state has been attributed to various factors. For instance, in Lafon County, at least 213 houses and 106 food granaries were burned down by wildfire, leaving households with no food in their stores.
At the same time, the Jie community of Kapoeta East County is experiencing terrible hunger caused by the drought attributed to climate change. Already, four people have starved to death.
The stakeholders’ meeting resolved that there is a need for the installation of water points to help the cattle herders on the border avoid conflicts with their neighbours, particularly on the Kenyan side.
Speaking after the meeting, the state minister of information, Patrick Oting, said helping the communities must be a priority for the government and the aid organisations.
“There is already a committee formed to go and assess the areas and compile the report for easy identification of the services needed,” he said.
“The discussion also brought up the issue of Nadapal, there is a need for water to be fixed in the border point to help the cattle herders.”
Oting said the issue of water shortage and pasture are some of the factors responsible for the inter-communal violence at the Nadapal border.
“The youth used to meet, but now Kenya’s government has made a dam for the Turkana herders, and it remains our part now in South Sudan. “Water points should be fixed for our cattle in Nadapal,” he said.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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