Among them is Regina Joseph, a mother of five, who embarked on the gruelling trek due to dire circumstances.
She explained that her children had to abandon their education, and she struggled to provide for her family amid dwindling resources.
Regina fled Lowai in Torit County in 2019, hoping the refugee camp in Uganda would offer better educational opportunities for her children. However, recent aid cuts made life unsustainable.
“I was informed that, as part of group 3, my family would receive no food rations. With my children out of school and conditions worsening, I had no choice but to leave,” Regina told Sudans Post.
She remains hopeful that her children can resume their education soon, as Magwi County offers opportunities for her to support her family.
Regina was joined by another returnee, who preferred to be known only as Angelo, who returned to prepare a place to bring back his family from the camp.
Salfa Ben Okeny, the County Relief and Rehabilitation Coordinator, noted that Magwi has seen a steady influx of voluntary returnees since 2022, largely due to improved security.
“These families arrived from Palabek Refugee Camp and were stranded in Pajok. They cited unbearable conditions, including insufficient or nonexistent food rations,” Okeny said upon receiving them at the Relief and Rehabilitation Centre in Magwi.
Funding shortages have exacerbated the crisis, leaving gaps in support as most families relied heavily on aid from humanitarian organisations. In 2023, the county received over 200 returnees from Maji Village, who similarly cited hardships in refugee camps.
According to UNHCR, approximately 242,000 South Sudanese refugees, primarily in Ethiopia and Uganda, require resettlement. Food assistance remains severely limited, with rations reduced by up to 60% in 2024 due to funding cuts.
