Food, water shortages hit displaced persons’ camps

JUBA — The camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in South Sudan are facing food and water shortages due to lack of funding, Nyajuma Gatloth, camp representative in Juba said on Tuesday.

In April, the U.N.’s World Food Program (WFP) further reduce rations for refugees and displaced people in South Sudan due to a lack of funding.

About 700,000 people have had their rations reduced to half from 70% to 50%.

Speaking at a national validation workshop in Juba on Tuesday, Nyajuma disclosed that the IDPs are facing several challenges ranging from a shortage of food, water to medication. 

“IDPs are facing challenges of food, water, and garbage collection and there are no toilet facilities which make IDPs defecate in an open place,” Nyajuma said at Tuesday’s workshop in Juba.

“The IDPs are fetching water in contaminated pool which is causing disease while there are no health care facilities in the Juba IDPs camp,” she added.

She said the decision taken by the World Food Program to cut the ratio has worsened the poor living condition of the IDPs in the camp.

“The cutting of food ratio by the WFP due to shortage of funds has affected the already dire situation in the camp. They went ahead to cut the food ratio knowing very well that human beings can’t survivor without food and water,” she said.

“We need to put into consideration that IDPs shouldn’t be abandoned or their services should be cut because we are in the peace process,” she added.

She disclosed that the IDPs can’t return home since their homes are still being occupied by others.

“We can’t go home because our houses are been occupied by some people and security are not yet stable,” she said.

The IDPs representative revealed that the youth in the camps have started to engage in criminal activities such as raping women and girls.

“There is a need for security in the camp since the UN Peacekeepers left us. The government has not taken over the responsibility of providing security,” she said.