Over 2,000 people displaced in S. Sudan’s Raga town

August 11, 2016 (WAU) – Over 2,000 people are believed to have been displaced in Raga town of Western Bahr el Ghazal region after fighting involving South Sudanese rival forces in the area.

Parish priest of Catholic Church in Raga town of the newly created Lol state, Father Richard Batista Engliz, said a number of 2,500 people have sheltered at the church’s buildings in Raga town as a result of the last Friday’s fighting within the town between government forces and armed group affiliated to be members of SPLM-IO led by Riek Machar, former first vice president.

“Yes we have 2,500 people, elderly people are now sheltered at schools of Comboni girls and boys secondary schools. The humanitarian situation is worsening at the locations of western, eastern and southern part of Raga town,” Engliz told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

Father said the displaced people are urgently in need of food, medical facilities, adding the drugs which were with the organization have now finished while the health situation is alarming.

“We do not have qualified doctors, we only have assistant doctors who are not able to cover all treatments of daily increased sick people despite that they are doing their level best,” he said.

“The situation in Raga town is very worse, people are really suffering, some are in the bushes depending on tree leaves and roots” he added.

Father Engliz added that most diseases affecting children include malaria, diarrhoea and coughing because the affected people do not have blankets and mosquito nets.

He called on United Nations agencies to intervene and provide food and non-food items to the affected populations.

(ST)