Thousands migrate due to hunger in Lafon County of Eastern Equatoria state

Thousands of people are migrating in Lafon County of Eastern Equatoria state in South Sudan due to hunger, according to a law maker.

 Visor Likali Olum, the MP representing Lafon County on the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in opposition (SPLM-IO) in the state legislative assembly, said most of his constituents are migrating to nearby Magwi and Labone areas due to shortage of food.

 He even added that other families are heading to Uganda.

 “People in Lafon County are relying on wild fruits and other edible leaves, they are really suffering. There is also lack of primary health care centers to treat people,” Olum told The Juba Echo in an interview on Wednesday.

Olum revealed that the population of Lafon County is around 195,000.

He said areas most affected by hunger include Ocubi, Kurubi, Mogruna and Borgila.

 “The nearest health center to Lafon County is Torit civil hospital, sometime a patient dies on the way before reaching the hospital. We are calling for the PHCU in Lafon to be upgraded to the level of hospital,” Olum said.

He also appealed to the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) and the national ministry of agriculture to urgently help people in Lafon before the situation exacerbates.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned recently that conflict, climate change, and soaring costs in South Sudan are causing some of the highest levels of hunger in the world.