IOM aids conflict-affected people in Jonglei

September 20, 2013 (JUBA) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it started distributing, for the first time, aid in South Sudan’s conflict-affected state of Jonglei.

Clashes in the region between the Lou Nuer and Murle groups escalated in May, forcing thousands of people to flee its Pibor county to Juba and neighbouring countries like Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya.

Majority of those who fled, according to IOM, were from the Murle community, adding that it registered 8,400 of them internally displaced in the capital, Juba.

Logistical and security constraints, a spokesperson for organisation said, remain a setback in efforts by its partners to reach the needy.

“Pibor was currently only accessible by helicopter, with humanitarian staff operating out of temporary camps,” Gaëlle Sévenier told a United Nations briefing Friday.

According to IOM, at least 21,000 individuals have so far been registered in Gumuruk and Pibor, courtesy of its displacement tracking and monitoring team, working in cooperation with local communities and partner agencies.

Data compiled, according to IOM, will be used by its partners to make informed decisions on provision of future assistance, ensuring aid is quickly and effectively delivered to those in need.

(ST)