By Hou Akot Hou
A special committee comprising of five members selected by the Governor of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State Tong Aken Ngor, has been formed to supervise the distribution of the recently imported sorghum from neighboring Sudan.
“Our people are suffering from hunger and we are mindful of doing a significant intervention as a government. I have visited the market of late to assess the prices and found out the prices are still soaring,” Aken told journalists in Aweil town on Tuesday.
Northern Bhar El Ghazal is among the states with a sizable number of people facing severe hunger and malnutrition among under-age children, according to the South Sudan Acute Food Insecurity Classification (February 2023 – September 2023).
Aken said the first allotment of sorghum made up of 500 sacks will be sold in Aweil town and Aweil South County.
“More convoys will come from Sudan with sorghum, some arrived yesterday and others are being loaded as there is no insecurity along the road from Sudan. Before the rain fall the counties will receive food which will be sold by the government at affordable prices,” he said.
Aken disclosed that the committee overseeing the sale of sorghum is headed by the State Minister of Finance, Lual Buola.
“I said before that the women will be entrusted with selling sorghum in the markets because they are kind-hearted,” Aken revealed.
Deng Dut, a resident of Aweil town said he is relieved after the prices of four kilograms of sorghum fell from 2500 South Sudanese Pounds to 1000 SSP after the government intervened.
“This is an excellent intervention, some traders buy in bulk but we want government to open their eyes to crackdown on such illicit dealers,” he said.
Meanwhile, other food convoys will head for neighboring Western Bhar El Ghazal and Warrap States.
