Jonglei state residents receive food aid
November 25, 2014 (BOR) – Large sections of the population in South Sudan’s Jonglei state continued receiving food provided by Catholic Relief Service (CRS) with support from the US aid arm (USAID).
Over 3,000 households at Pariak, Panwell and Malek and other areas in Bor county were given one-month food rations from the agency, which the locals described as life-saving.
“We are very thankful to CRS who had been supporting us with food since April when we came from the islands. The food ratio is not bad, 15kg per person in a given household,” a local resident said on Tuesday.
Oil, cereals and sorghum were among the relied items distributed by agencies.
The distribution was based on earlier registration processes carried by CRS among the population badly-affected by conflict in the area.
Kech Majoh, a resident of Pariak village, appreciated efforts by humanitarian agencies to support them with food, but said more needed to be done than just providing food to the local population.
“I am not happy to be relief dependent. What I need USAID and US government to do since they are very near to God, is to force the rebels to sign peace with the government so that we start building more trust among ourselves earlier enough,” said Kech.
Meanwhile, USAID said it plans to release about 15,000 metric tons of food and funds to help populations across Jonglei through its food security program, being implemented by CRS and Save the Children.
According to South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, about 600,000 people have returned to their homes in Jonglei’s capital, Bor.
(ST)