Six women missing in Bentiu protection of civilian site

At least six women have gone missing since November 2, in Bentiu Protection of Civilians site.

John Tot Riek, the chairperson of the high-level committee in Bentiu PoC said the women went missing after they left the camp to search for water lilies in Modina village to feed their children due to food shortage.

“The women went to collect water lilies from the flooded water, they left Bentiu PoC at 7:00 AM and they were accompanied by a man in a canoe, but we realized they are missing after the canoe returned, we thought that they had come back on their own  to the PoC,” Riek told Juba Echo in Bentiu on Friday.

The World Food Programme  (WFP) recently suspended food distribution for three months in the protection of civilian site.

Riek said two women among the missing six were breastfeeding.

“Among the six missing women two of them were breastfeeding mothers with infants of three months, we are in coordination with camp management to send out speed boats to Eastern part of Bentiu protection of civilian site,” he said.

The Bentiu PoC Sector three leader, Kong Koang Gatnyoy said children of the six women left behind in the PoC are going hungry due to the absence of their parents.

“We don’t know whether these women drowned in the water, as we are searching for the missing women their children are also in critical need of support,” Koang said.

In a similar development, a 14-year- old boy also recently went missing for two days only to be found within the flooded water.

Bentiu protection of civilian site hosts more than 100,000 displaced persons.

At least 40 people from Bentiu PoC have been confirmed to have drowned in the flood water.