N. Bahr el Ghazal decries increasing food prices ArticleComments (1). Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Ngor Arol Garang July 28, 2011 (JUBA) - The government and people of Northern Bahr el Ghazal on Thursday decried increasing food prices and sent out an appeal for action to alleviate the crisis. Food aid in Northern Bahr el Ghazal (WFP)“There is an urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the area. The situation has been made worse by a massive influx of the returning former internally displaced persons (IDPs) from northern Sudan. We are currently receiving a lot of people returning either through organised return or on voluntary basis. We have already received over 76,000 people [many via train]”, said James Mawien Arol, deputy Aweil East County Secretary with South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, in an interview with Sudan Tribune. The state government in June hinted at the increased in food prices and attributed the cause to closure of roads linking the north with south by authorities allegedly receiving instructions from Khartoum based government. Mawien said the situation requires immediate international attention to reach out to those in distress. He says the state government is “fully aware that this is a global issue,” in reference to international commodity price hikes, but that action was being taken by the government, in collaboration with the World Food Program and other collaborating partners. Reverend Stephen Mayuen Mou, Secretary General in the Episcopal Church of Sudan for Aweil Diocese, who is currently visiting Juba, observed that there are several other contributing factors into food prices in the area. He believes that the closure of the road linking North and South Sudan as one and military takeover of Abyei by Sudan Armed Forces as another contributing factor to the soaring food prices in the area. “Internally displaced persons from Abyei are moving towards Aweil in large numbers. This has created a pressure on local resources and subsequently affecting local people who are determined to give a helping hand to their brothers and sisters displaced from Abyei”, said Mou. He said he visited Peth in Aweil East County; Northern Bahr el Ghazal State in June, where he found out that the prices for local grains were high. “It’s the highest price Aweil residents have ever experienced, even during South-North war of more than two decades.” He explained that the price of grain has reached 12SDG (US$4.5) per kilo and was often not unavailable. Apparently during the civil war the price peaked at 7 SDG/kilo. He said Aweil town, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, has recently received approximately 1,000 IDPs while Aweil East County and continues to host thousands of IDPs from Abyei. In Aweil , 1,000 IDPs are located in Malou-awer village, north of Aweil capital. They have little food or shelter and limited medical attention from International Health agencies. He asked the state government to join with the Episcopal Church of South Sudan’s Diocese of Aweil to continuous asking Christians worldwide to pray for such growing emergency. “Getting them plastic sheets shall protect them from heavy rain. Getting them food will restore their lost hope and providing them mosquito nets shall not only help but will safe all of them from mosquito bites and malaria as a deadly disease shall be prevented”, said Mou. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
