![South Sudanese displaced by conflict in Sudan at the reception center in Renk County, Upper Nile State, South Sudan, on April 30, 2023. [Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/20230608e20fa8ad10c847e6a2c54c8256faca2a_23680b71-e088-4267-b8bb-7c0d4c46b4db.jpg?resize=900%2C599&quality=89&ssl=1)
This comes after two boats carrying over 2000 people arrived in Akobo. Sudans Post has learned that the returnees are coming from Ethiopia and Sudan where conflict has been ongoing between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Speaking to Sudans Post on Wednesday, Jonglei State information minister Elizabeth Jock said the overall total of returnees and refugees in the state and dramatically increased from 20,000 to at least 40,000 and most of them are now camping in Akobo.
“There are more than 2,000 people and now the threat is that they have nothing to eat at all, because the first batch was helped by Akobo people, they helped them by giving their goats, cows, maize so they have nothing now, the new arrivals are stabbing with hunger,” she said.
“The returnees and refugees started coming back from our neighboring Country since last month, last month they were 20,000 and then they increased to 30,000 and as we are speaking, they are more than 40,000,” she added.
The senior state government official revealed that the returnees and refugees are living at Church and school compounds, which he said are full.
“They are within Akobo North, most of them are camping inside the church compounds, most of them are Anglican church members, and then the rest are in Praetorian church and some of them are in Christian temple plus the cabinet even the schools are full also,” she said.
She appealed to the humanitarian organizations and the national government in Juba to quickly response to the needs of the returnees in the area.
“There is no humanitarian response yet, they are suffering, and they need health and on the side of health there is IMC which also have shortage of medicines, so the medication is not enough, and many returnees are suffering from many diseases especially women and children,” she added.
Jock added urged national government to also response to the needs of the refugees and returnees.
“It is really affecting the pupils and students because they go under trees in the morning and later return to the class and sometimes it rains on them and sometimes the students cannot learn and that is big challenge, we really need the national government to response to them,” she said.
The senior government official further said that the Akobo County Commissioner who was appointed recently has not yet arrived in the county headquarters.
