Aid agencies stop food distribution in Pibor due to insecurity
August 7, 2013 (JUBA) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has said food distribution in violence-hit Pibor county in Jonglei state has been suspended due to insecurity.
On 2 August Sudan Tribune reported that three civilians had been injured in shootings by suspected Sudan People’s Liberation (SPLA) soldiers.
The latest OCHA humanitarian bulletin on South Sudan reports that one woman died during the incident while another died from injuries sustained in a health facility in Pibor town. Also injured were other civilians including a child.
OCHA says the shooting is reason why humanitarian agencies have suspended food distribution in Pibor.
“Following the shooting of civilians on 31 July, aid organisations paused distributions pending investigations and security guarantees for aid workers and civilians”, says the OCHA report covering the period from 29 July- 4 August 2013.
After the shooting, SPLA spokesman Philip Aguer said the army would investigate the circumstances under which the civilians were shot.
At the time of stopping food distribution, the OCHA report says about 5,500 people in Pibor town had received food rations to take them through the next 30 days.
The same report also warns that from July to December 2013, conflict-affected areas like Pibor will have a food crisis.
“The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) outlook for July to December 2013 projected that food insecurity in areas affected by violence, in particular Pibor County, will remain at crisis levels until the end of the year. Outside violence-affected areas, it predicted that food insecurity will be low”, it said.
In Abyei, according to the report, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of returnees. For example in June and July about 16,000 people were verified as having returned. This, the report says, is an increase of 6,000 people since October 2012.
(ST)