Hunger bites in Aweil East in wake of heavy flooding

Thousands of people in Aweil East County of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State are staring at hunger following devastating floods sweeping away crops meant for harvest this season.

Ben Marol Kuol, Chief of Riang Mabor area in Aweil East County, said that hunger has already hit the population, adding that the dire situation has left many affected people with nothing to eat.

 “We are confused now on what to do, there are already cases of hungry people, our people didn’t cultivate well this year due to floods, many of them were displaced they are only relying on relief assistance,” Kuol told journalists in Aweil East on Wednesday while meeting with members of International Rescue Committee (IRC) and  United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The delegation was in Malualkon village to seek views of the affected people on Gender –Based Violence (GBV).

Kuol said that hunger is the biggest problem in the area because food commodities are no longer available in the markets due to inaccessibility.

He called upon the government and other international organizations to intervene, and rescue the hungry people in the area with food assistance.

Mamer Deng, paramount chief of Malualkon area, said that they as local leaders are powerless to save their people.

He said that all their crops are submerged by water.

Deng requested the state government to bring in food from anywhere such that they will be able to buy.

“All the crops that were cultivated were destroyed by floods, roads are cut off, no goods are coming in as we rely on the goods coming from neighboring Sudan, things are expensive in the market for our people to buy,” said Kiir Yor Lual, Commissioner of Aweil East County.

A spot check by The Juba Echo confirmed that 50 kilogram of maize flour is now being sold for between 38,000 to 40,000 South Sudanese Pounds amid food scarcity.

Road access to Sudan has been cutoff, in addition to making movement within Aweil East impossible by road.