Author: Elsheikh Chol Ajeing | Published: 11 hours ago
Signpost of Nasir County [Photo: Courtesy]
The Commissioner of Nasir County in Upper Nile State is calling for an urgent humanitarian assessment to determine the scale of the crisis facing the area.
Commissioner James Gatwech Jok made the appeal on Monday following a meeting with representatives from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in the area.
Speaking to Eye Radio from Nasir, Gatwech said the county is currently experiencing a serious humanitarian situation that requires immediate response.
He said earlier food air-drops have been exhausted, and many communities affected by the March conflict are still in urgent need of support.
The commissioner also noted that the return of displaced people has worsened the situation, as many of them came back without food or basic supplies.
“We spoke with UNOCHA to request more support. They referred us to the UN office in Juba and told us that, if necessary, we should follow up with officials there. We’ve asked them several times to conduct a full assessment to help identify what is happening on the ground and make proper recommendations. They are aware of the situation, but up to now, no one has gone to the affected areas,” he said.
Commissioner Gatwech appealed for both food and non-food items, including shelter materials and cooking utensils to support the people.
“Since I arrived here, there has been no food. In some payams, food has been delivered, but along the riverside, nothing has reached the people yet. People are fleeing the area, and many returnees have come back to town with nothing. They have no shelter. They urgently need non-food items — cooking utensils, mosquito nets, plastic sheets, blankets, and containers for water. I have been requesting these supplies for a while now, but nothing has arrived so far,” he added.
He said he has repeatedly appealed to humanitarian agencies to respond, but no supplies have reached many parts of the county so far.
