Juba, South Sudan,
May 19, 2021 – Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony has appealed to humanitarian agencies to provide support for victims of insecurity currently displaced in Yei and Lanya Counties
Thousands of civilians were displaced from their residential areas following recent attacks allegedly carried out by forces loyal to the National Salvation Front led by Thomas Cirilo Swaka and cattle keepers suspected to be from Terekeka County.
Speaking to the media, Adil, who was on a security and humanitarian assessment mission in the region said the state leadership has provided some food items to the IDPs through the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission but the need for humanitarian aid remained overwhelming.
“We call for assistance for the IDPs because mostly these are the vulnerable people, children, and elders who are in dire need of humanitarian assistance,” Adil said.
“Therefore, I am calling upon humanitarian actors together with us in the government to provide humanitarian support to IDPs. They need food, shelter, and other essential basic services “, the Governor added.
The IDPs are reportedly lacking basic necessities such as food, and shelter. A woman identified as Rose from Ombasi village camping at the Episcopal Church compound in Yei Town told a local radio station that the situation was dire.
“You need to help us because we don’t have shelter and blankets. We don’t have food and people are suffering and I don’t feel happy because of the bad things done to us in the bush”, Rose was quoted to have said.
Paul Lokadi another IDP who fled his home in Wuji Payam of Lanya County last week said that more than three thousand IDPs sheltered in Episcopal Church of South Sudan Mondo Diocese are lacking basic services.
“The IDPs here lack food, clean water, and medicines for the children and we are also lacking utensils and other non-food items”, Lokadi said.
Insecurity in Central Equatoria has been on the rise in recent days with gunmen allegedly loyal to Thomas Cirilo laying ambushes on road users.
Less than a week ago, Adil lost four of his gubernatorial bodyguards after facing a deadly attack by ‘unknown gunmen’ along Juba – Yei Road.
