Aweil East commissioner accuses relief officials of selling aid

AWEIL – The commissioner of Aweil East County of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, Diing Aher Ngong, has accused some officials of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) of selling relief items and distributing them to their relatives.

Ngong’s warning comes amid an influx of Sudanese refugees and returning South Sudanese due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

He said the alleged misconduct by RRC staff was hindering efforts to assist those in need.

“We have discovered a lot of dishonest deals going on during distribution of food items,” Ngong said in a statement.

“People who are even working as staff of RRC cooperate with the traders and offer them cards and later they go to claim their food items or money from these traders,” he added.

Ngong further accused some local chiefs of registering their relatives for aid, tarnishing the reputation of traditional leaders.

He said plans were underway to partner with international organizations to improve distribution methods.

Meanwhile, Northern Bahr el Ghazal Governor Tong Aken Ngor urged residents, including returnees and refugees, to take up agriculture despite limited resources as the rainy season approaches.

“He urged the local population to shun laziness and make good use of the abundant land productively in order to alleviate hunger in the state,” the statement said.