Hundreds waiting under trees in Poktap for food aid
September 27, 2014 (BOR) – Hundreds of people are said to be waiting under trees, exposed to rain and mosquitoes, for food aid in Duk county’s Poktap village.
“People have been waiting in Poktap under trees. There are no shelters. They came from Pajut and some from other areas,” said Mochnom.
“They are between 300 to 400 people, and others are still coming. Eighty-two others moved to Panyagor because of hunger, but they will return to Poktap before Tuesday,” he added.
Those waiting for relief agencies to arrive are among some 42,000 people estimated to be affected by hunger in Duk county after fighting between government and rebel forces caused widespread devastation across the region.
The relief operation will be jointly coordinated by the WFP and CRS, with food aid to be distributed in Poktap and Ayueldit, which is also within Duk county.
HEALTH CONCERNS
The harsh conditions in the area have also raised serious health concerns, amid fears of a disease outbreak.
There are no medical supplies and the area is malaria infested, while the surrounding bushland had become thick and overgrown.
The commissioner said the unpredictable nature of the health situation requires an immediate intervention from humanitarian agencies.
Sudan Medical and the John Dau Foundation have both been approached to provide medical assistance, but no reply has been received as yet.
Thousands of houses, medical centres and schools were burned in Duk, from Potkap in the south, to Payuel in the east through Patuenoi, Mareng, Dongchak down to Padiet in the north of the county by rebels in April.
South Sudan has been mired in violence since conflict broke out in mid-December last year following a political dispute in the ruling party (SPLM).
Fighting between government and rebel forces, under the leadership of former vice-president Riek Machar, has displaced more than a million people and caused widespread destruction across the country.
(ST)