Jonglei: Food supplies cut off by flooded roads

By Philip Thon Aleu

August 21, 2011 (BOR) – Trade between Bor and Panyagor counties of Jonglei state has been halted after heavy rains submerged shallow parts of the road rgus stopping the supply of badly needed food items.

Ayuel Arok, a trader who supplies sorghum to Paliau and Panyagor Payams (districts) of Twic East county told the Sudan Tribune on Saturday in Bor that his vehicle could not navigate through the floods. His car had to be pulled out by tractor when it got stuck between Jalle and Mar.

According to businessmen and residents along the damaged roads, the highway is disappearing under water at an alarming rate raising fears that the already insufficient food supply will diminish and prices will continue to climb.

Crop yields were delayed this year due to late rains. The population is resettling following conflict between North and South Sudan from 1983 until 2005. Around four million people were displaced according to the UN.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) gave South Sudan the right to self determination which it embraced in a referendum in January with an overwhelming vote for independence, which was declared in July.

Of the 333,000 people who have returned to South Sudan since October 2010 over 19,788 have returned to Jonglei according to the latest UN report. The UN estimate that due to the late rains, conflict and poor infrastructure agricultural production will be lower than 2010.

In rural areas of Jonglei, small scale agriculture is the main source of livelihood. Most foods items are supplied by traders who have to navigate the state’s poor road network. This also hampers police responses to cattle raiding and other criminal activity, according to state authorities.

The UN report published on Thursday found that this year’s harvest will be lower than 2010,

“The food security situation in South Sudan continues to be a concern. Preliminary findings of the rapid crop assessment just conducted by the food security and livelihood cluster found that the upcoming harvest production will be lower than 2010. However, it remains too early to determine precisely how much lower production will be, as the rainy season is still ongoing. In addition, the nutrition cluster reported that acute malnutrition rates in South Sudan continue to be alarming. Results from pre-harvest surveys conducted in 17 counties revealed that 11 counties across five states have worrying levels of global acute malnutrition and severe acute malnutrition.”

(ST)