Wau official criticises UN over food quality to IDPs

October 26, 2016 (WAU) – The deputy governor of South Sudan’s Wau state, Pasquale Ayan has criticized United Nations agencies for allegedly delivering poor quality foods to displaced persons in Africa, compared to what it send to Middle East nations.

“African IDPs [Internally Displaced Persons] and refugees are just given sorghum, which is used for feeding domestic animals like donkeys in other continents while other poor people, the same in human value as Africans, are poorly feed,” the official said.

Ayan, however, said he believes donors usually give huge money sums to UN agencies, yet beneficiaries are only given sorghum and plastic shelters, meaning the funds were not properly being utilized.

“It is not good for UN agencies to use IDPs as sources of raising money without using that money to provide adequate needs,” said Ayan.

“The situation in Wau town has now improved of which there is no need for these IDPs to continue staying in camps, but they should go back to their homes to resume normal agricultural activities,” he added.

Violence erupted in Wau town in June, forcing thousands of people to take refuge in the UN camp, churches, schools as well as Red Cross centres.

Millions of people have fled to neighbouring Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since violent conflict broke out in Africa’s newest nation in mid-December 2013.

According to the UN, nearly five million people in South Sudan are dependent on overseas food aid to survive, amidst fears of a renewed civil war.

(ST)