S. Sudan expresses concerns about humanitarian situation in Pibor

August 10, 2013 (BOR) – The head of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) has decried the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Jonglei state’s Pibor county, with over 100,000 displaced people from the Murle ethnic group said to be in critical need of basic services after the recent clashes with members of the rival Lou Nuer tribe.

Speaking to the media at Bor airport after returning from Pibor county, SSRRC boss Peter Lam said humanitarian agencies had begun food distribution in Pibor town.

“The main purpose of my visit was to see to it that we provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced and to those [who] are already in Gumuruk town”, he said, pledging that food would be distributed to those in need in the area by UN helicopter.

Lam was on a visit to assess the humanitarian needs of people in the Pibor area, along with the heads of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Lam, who was in Gumuruk before travelling to Pibor on the same day, said they were told by local authorities that about 27,000 displaced people had fled to Gumuruk and surrounding areas following the violence.

The displaced, mostly from Jonglei state’s Pibor county, are fleeing fighting between government troops and David Yau Yau-led rebel fighters.

Ethnic violence between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribal groups again erupted in Jonglei in July, when thousands of armed Lou Nuer men travelling on foot moved into remote areas of Pibor county, a predominantly Murle area.

Thousands of civilians were consequently displaced from their homes after South Sudan’s army (SPLA) launched an operation to quash the rebellion.

Lam said he held talks during his visit with county authorities and the South Sudan army (SPLA) commander for the Pibor area.

According to Lam, the army commander had made assurances during the meeting that its forces remained committed to providing protection to the Murle people.

“We discussed the importance of protecting the people of Murle, especially those who are in Pibor town. Most of them are feeling that they are not being protected very well. The commander of [the] SPLA in Pibor promised, and even put it in writing that what happened in Pibor would not repeat itself again. He said this was unacceptable and that they would provide better protection”, Lam said.

In recent weeks, two women were reportedly killed and one child wounded in Pibor by elements within the SPLA. The suspects were later killed and SPLA said it is conducting an investigation.

Lam said local people had welcomed the start of food distribution in Pibor town, with hundreds turning out to collect their rations.

He said that figure was expected to grow, with many more displaced people still to be registered.

“We are doing a lot as the government and as a humanitarian community to ensure that our people are getting the kind of assistance that they need”, he said.

Lam said the humanitarian situation in Jonglei remained unstable and many people in the area were unable to cultivate their crops in the past year due to the conflict.

“If you go to Pibor county, you will find that there are no schools and there are no clinics, some of the schools that were there are destroyed as a result of war. There is no development that can take place in a conflict situation”, said Lam.

“We appeal to people and Yau Yau himself that we need him to come back and negotiate with the government [and] accept the amnesty granted by the president”, he added.

(ST)