Over 30,000 people need urgent humanitarian assistance in Equatoria’s Ezo
March 21, 2017 (YAMBIO) – Over 30 000 individuals in Ezo County, a district of South Sudan’s newly created Tombura State are in dire humanitarian need after returning from the bushes and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The individuals found that their properties had been looted and their houses burnt during the conflict.
Mario Mboritie, commissioner of Ezo County said most of the citizens who fled have returned back home but are living without food because they lost everything during the conflict last year.
He appealed to humanitarian organisations to help the vulnerable people in Ezo who did not cultivate or harvest their crops.
“I am appealing to humanitarian organisations and the United Nations agencies to go to Ezo and help the vulnerable people who are living without bread because they did not cultivate or harvest their crops due to insecurity for three years now,” Mario Mboritie stated.
Francis Juma Boroyo, the coordinator of Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) in Ezo, said over 8 thousand household’s and 30 000 individuals who have not cultivated in the past three years are in dire needs of food, shelter and medicine.
Hospitals and clinics were looted during the conflict between the armed groups and the government forces in Ezo.
Boroyo mentioned that since the conflict started in the area, only World Vision International came to distribute soap to the citizens and since then no organisations have helped the needy people of Ezo. Reports by the RRC have been sent several times to the concerned authority.
The coordinator went on to explain that the security situation, which has been calm since last year, encourages the citizens returning to their homes. The road connecting Ezo and Yambio is passable so humanitarian agencies can go freely to deliver assistance to the people. He added that some refugees who fled to Congo were coming back to the camp and they were also in need of assistance.
Boroyo urged the humanitarian partners come assist the people as soon as possible before the rainy season makes the roads hard to travel on. The bad roads may hinder them in reaching remote areas.
There is a great need for seeds and agricultural tools like pangas and hoes.
(ST)