AWEIL — More than 2,600 returnees sheltering at the Riang-Anei returnee camp in Gok-Machar, Aweil North County of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, say they have been forced to survive on wild fruits and edible leaves as worsening food shortages leave families struggling to feed themselves.
The returnees, who arrived in South Sudan in April, say they have yet to receive meaningful humanitarian assistance despite repeated appeals, forcing many to depend on whatever food they can find in nearby bushes.
Camp leader Deng Maduok Chok told Sudans Post by phone on Friday that the lack of food has become the most urgent challenge facing the camp, with many residents now falling ill after consuming wild plants to stave off hunger.
“We arrived in April, and most of us are depending on anything that comes our way for survival,” Maduok said.
According to him, residents routinely leave the camp to collect wild fruits and edible leaves because they have no other source of food. He said the prolonged reliance on these wild plants has contributed to a rise in stomach-related illnesses, particularly among vulnerable people.
“When you move from one shelter to another, you find many people suffering from stomach infections after eating wild fruits such as Ngan-dok and leaves like Lalook,” he said.
Maduok said the worsening humanitarian situation has been compounded by drought, which has reduced agricultural production in the area and left returnees with little opportunity to cultivate crops for their own consumption.
He appealed to the state government, humanitarian agencies, and other relief organizations to urgently provide food assistance, medical supplies, and other essential services before conditions deteriorate further.
According to Maduok, camp leaders have repeatedly sought assistance from relevant authorities and humanitarian actors, but no aid has reached the settlement since the returnees arrived several months ago.
Efforts by Sudans Post to obtain comment from Aweil North County authorities, including the chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
Northern Bahr el Ghazal has witnessed a steady influx of returnees in recent months, adding pressure to already overstretched humanitarian services. Many returnees across the state have complained of inadequate access to food, healthcare, clean water, and shelter, with some blaming weak coordination among government institutions and humanitarian organizations for delays in delivering assistance.
Residents have also raised concerns over the distribution of food aid, alleging that some local leaders and community members have manipulated the allocation of ration cards by favouring relatives instead of the most vulnerable returnees and refugees. Sudans Post could not independently verify the allegations.
