Hunger kills six in S. Sudan’s Eastern Equatorial state
August 12, 2015 (JUBA) – At least six people starved to death as a result of lack of food in a remote part of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria state, officials said on Wednesday.
“We registered the last six cases last week at the eastern side of the county. They were found in the homes on different days, here the hunger is too much and the people are trying but it’s too much now,” said Felix Makuja, the Budi county commissioner.
Makuja claimed there could more unreported deaths in some parts of the villages remain inaccesible due to poor road networks and no phone links to main administrative towns.
Eastern Equatoria state information minister, Mark Akio, admitted there were cases of death due to starvation in Budi, but could not ascertain how many people actually died.
“It is only Magwi county that harvested some maize and other food crops in the phase one of the farming. In other counties, the crop died due to lack of rains,” said Akio.
Eastern Equatoria falls in the green-belt of South Sudan and is known for its agricultural potentials.
LOCALS ATTACK RAINMAKERS
For local communities, the drought is not a natural occurrence, but rather the work of spiritual diviners, locally referred to as rainmakers. On Tuesday, angry youth reportedly attacked a renowned ainmaker in Torit, the Eastern Equatoria capital and killed him.
“Youth killed a chief thought to have powers over birds. They accused him of allowing the birds to destroy crops,” said local government minister, Lokai Iko told Eye Radio.
“So on the 8 [of August], we got also a report that one of the brothers of chief Oyalala was killed by the youth; purporting that [he] was also obstructing the rain,” he added.
Despite its potential agricultural land, South Sudan still imports food items from its neighbours. The situation have been worsendes by the ongoing conflict and weakenimg of the local currency against the United States Dollar required to imports into the country.
Eastern Equatoria officials urged humanitarian agencies and the national government to intervene to save lives. Its not clear how many people are exactly affected by hunger.
(ST)