Jonglei: Hundreds fleeing villages for fear of attacks
November 12, 2015 (BOR) – Chiefs and elders of Jale payam in South Sudan’s Jonglei state say the locals were fleeing their villages for swamps due to lack of protection.
Anyang Chol, one of the chiefs in Jale payam told Sudan Tribune that women, children and cattle, had moved to islands in swamps, considered safer zones, due to increasing insecurity in an area lacking proper protection from the state.
“Few days ago, over 20 people were killed here in Jale, cattle were raided by Murel. Since then, we had been waiting to receive a protecting force from the government, but it had gone to four weeks now without this force. So we decided to move the cattle, women and children to islands, and we the men remained”, said Chol.
Matiop Chol, one of the Jale elders, said their place had been the hot spot for raiders over a long period of time, with people killed every year and several heads of cattle looted.
“There is no security here. That is why we took the risk of taking our children to islands. There are no mosquito nets, no medicines, and sicknesses are many”, said Matiop.
WHOOPING COUGH CASES
The village health officer, Abuoi Akech, said cases of whooping cough among children was on the rise in one of the islands. No verification was, however, done to prove this.
“A lot of our children fled to Kuei, but we recently had that there are cases of whooping cough there. So the last group of people who were suppose to go to the same place had been forced to go to other places. We have no drugs, here in Jale to support them. We have finished the little stock of drugs we received from Sudan Medical Care (SMC) two months ago. We need drugs”, explained Akech.
“Even if we receive food and no drugs, we shall have not done any good good job. A health can eat but a sick person can not eat and life”, he added.
SCHOOLS CLOSED
Meanwhile, authorities said a number of schools in Baidit and Jale payams were forced to close due to insecurity, which saw many desert villages for Bor town or into swamps.
Some chiefs said they were unable to stay unprotected for fear of Murle insurgents.
A teacher in Jale told Sudan Tribune they announced a temporary closure of schools in their area, a move that has allowed over 300 school children to be evacuated to islands.
“The school is remaining in the bush, and children in this village have no protection. Instead of waiting till something bad happens, I told them to leave coming to school till the situation calms down”, said Deng Anyieth, the head teacher of Jale primary school.
A Sudan Tribune reporter also witnessed a number of people fleeing villages from Mathinag boma to Jale payam center due to fear and anticipation of another attack.
(ST)