July 3, 2013 (JUBA) - More than 180 former returnees have been allocated land for farming by authorities in Malakal in Upper Nile state according to a weekly humanitarian bulletin on South Sudan by the UN agency for Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (UNOCHA). The bulletin which covers the period between 24-30 June 2013 said some of the returnees had been stranded with no where to stay, but will now be able to use the land to produce their own food. ‘The returnees, some of whom have been stranded in Malakal way station for two years, will be able to settle and farm on the new plots,’ said the UN humanitarian agency. The report says despite bad road conditions, 25,000 vulnerable people in Northern Bahr el Ghazal received three months’ food ration. The beneficiary areas included Chalek, Garam, Gok-Machar, Jaac and Jar-Akol. In Jonglie, an additional 3,900 vulnerable people also received assistance. OCHA pointed out that plans are underway to distribute seeds and farming tools to the vulnerable but observes that long term solution in addressing their food security and reintegration remains a concern. ‘As distributions of farming tools and seeds are underway, recent interagency assessments have shown that the humanitarian situation of these people poses challenges with regard to their integration into communities. Access to land for settlement and farming activities remained key concerns. Partners are discussing more sustainable solutions, including provision of arable plots and status determination.’ In some areas such as Uror which was affected by intercommunal violence early this year, plans are underway to offer assistance to 1,800 affected by intercommunal violence in February and April this year. The report further says around 130 women and children arrived in Aweil town on 29 June and have received humanitarian assistance. The group arrived from Sudan’ South and East Darfur following an incidence of abduction in Kitkit, Raja County of Western Bahr el Ghazal on 9 January. Their most immediate need is shelter, food and medical assistance. In Bor and Jonglei state humanitarian agencies registered 1,000 spontaneous returnees from Khartoum, Malakal and Kenya while a convoy of four barges took 950 returnees to Juba from Renk in Upper Nile.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 09:36:38 +0000
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