South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday distributed food assistance to 500 internally displaced persons from Abyei Special Administrative Area sheltering at Akuom Boma of Aweil East County of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State.
Yolanda Ille Felix, the WFP Deputy Head of the WFP Aweil Field Office, said they distributed food packages containing cooking oil, rice, cereals, pulses, salt and oil.
“The beneficiaries that received food in this location are about 500 because we concluded the first distribution in January, and others were saved in January but today’s food distribution is for those who were left out,” Yolanda told journalists in Aweil East County.
“In Aweil East we have 130,000 beneficiaries that are going to benefit from general food distribution because this location is the number one priority for WFP, and it is classified under the Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) report,” she said.
IDPs from Abyei Administrative Area who were displaced during communal violence receive food rations from WFP.
Yolanda said that they have also provided blanket supplementary feeding food for pregnant mothers and lactating mothers as well as under five-year-olds.
“Today, we served these people one-month food and in our food basket we have cereals, pulses, salt and oil and on top of that we also provided blanket supplementary feeding food.”
Ajok Majok Ayii, a 30–year–old mother of 7 who was displaced in 2023 from Abyei Administrative Area, expressed her relief after receiving food ration for her family.
“The life was terrible; we never received any food assistance since we arrived here last year. This is my first time receiving food assistance. I have today received cereals, pulses, salt and oil and nutritional food for children under -five years,” Majok said.
Joyce Jokudu Amos, a 30-year-old mother of six who was displaced in January from Abyei Administrative Area said that the food ration they have received will ease the hunger crisis in the IDP camp.
“I thank WFP for providing us with food assistance. Today, I received cereals, pulses, oil salt and rice and this food will take me for two weeks,” Jokudu said.
Thousands of civilians have been displaced since fighting broke out in January in Abyei Administrative Area between the local Ngok Dinka and armed youth from Twic community of neighbouring Warrap State.
Hundreds of civilians including security personnel have been killed during the deadly fighting between these two communities over land at the border separating them.
An estimated more than 9.4 million people will require humanitarian assistance representing 76 percent of South Sudan’s population, according to the UN agency.
