UN releases 5 months of food rations for vulnerable groups in Unity state
June 23, 2013 (BENTIU) – The United Nations World Food Programme has granted five months food assistance to 870 household of vulnerable men and women in Unity state.
The first food distribution to the victims was done on May 15 last following a request to help elderly people that was proposed by the ministry of gender, child and social welfare.
The food aid, which will reach 1,114 people in Rubkotna and Bentiu is aimed at empower the helpless people in the communities.
According to ministry officials the purpose of amending the project is to encourage the victims of last year’s flood to engage in cultivation this year as some have lost hope of following the devastation caused.
In Unity state over 7,000 people were affected by last year’s floods, which caused a food security crisis.
Although situation has improved, in April this year 15 people starved to death in Payinjiar county due to poor a harvest, which left family member unable to produces their own food.
But authorities have submitted series of request to WFP Bentiu office to assist victims of floods in Bentiu, Rubkotna and Payinjiar County.
In a response to the request to help victims of last year’s flooding in Bentiu, Rubkotna and Payinjiar county, WFP approved the five months distribution to the vulnerable people.
Unity state’s minister of gender, child and social welfare, Lubna Abdelgani, says the aims of distributing foods to the vulnerable group are another way to encourage them to cultivate and produce food for themselves.
“We have found these vulnerable of people as a result of last floods which have washed away their crops before mature stage, many people have no foods, and to encourage such people to cultivates, there is need to support them in terms of food provision in order to push them cultivate their own food, and these vulnerable people faced severely hunger”, said Abdelgani.
Angelina Nyakong Wal, 40, said on Friday that the food rations were helping her to return to farming.
“If the farm I’m cultivating do well, I’m sure we will not face hunger any more, we appreciate the support delivered by UN on us for period of five months. Hopefully next year my children will be fine, and I will have enough food for consumptions”, added Wal.
However, Akur Bol an internal displace person from Abyei says the ration is not enough and can only make them survive for a short period of time.
“The food they gave us is only for a month, and sometime it will not last longer as indicate in the distribution schedule, because in our family you may find a family has 6-8 children, and the food they give to them is a bags of sorghum and a bucket of lentals. That is not enough. We have to bear with situation whether the food is enough or not everyone have to meet the date”, said Bol.
(ST)