Massive Influx of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) Continues to be Witnessed in Yambio.
As the deadly armed conflict which started in July this year continues to ravage the Greater Tombura County in Western Equatoria State, thousands of civilians continue to bear the consequences among which include deaths, injuries obtained from attacks, as well as looting of people’s properties by the attackers. As a result, many people have been forced to flee from their homes in the Greater Tombura to Ezo, Yambio, and Nzara Counties in Western Equatoria State while others have fled to Wau in Western Barhal El Gazel State.
At 7:00 am on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, a truck full of IDPs mostly women, children, and elderly arrived at St. Mary Yambio Catholic Parish from Tombura. These Church premises has been the main venue where internally displaced persons who fled armed conflict have since been offloaded. The IDPs dropped at the Church premises have spilled over into the suburbs of Yambio town as many of them seek where to stay. Many of the IDPs are in dire need of basic human necessities since many of them ran away from their homes empty-handed or only managed to take a few belongings they could afford to escape with.
Speaking to Rurugene Online New, Pastor Charles Undo Kazimilio from Evangelical Lutheran Church who fled together with the IDPs who arrived at St. Mary Parish in Yambio on Wednesday last week expressed discomfort about the situations being experienced by the innocent civilians who are victims of the acts of the conflict perpetrators. He added that about 30 households were among the new arrivals.
Pastor Charles calls on the State Government to hasten its efforts towards defusing the armed conflict in Tombura because citizens are living in total fear. He added there were only two church leaders who remained with the IDPs in Tombura included; these included Rev. Fr. Bie Emmanuel of St. Mary Tombura Parish and himself from Evangelical Lutheran Church; this was before he fled to Yambio.
Francis Fransisco, the Director of Yambio County Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), which is tasked with the IDPs and Refugees Affairs confirmed to Rurugene Online News that so far, his office has registered 2,426 households which totals to 17,392 individuals. Out of this number, only 8,505 individuals have managed to receive some food items.
By, Elias Ginana Mangbondo
