Over 15,000 internal displaced persons in Tombura town in dire need of humanitarian Assistance

Tombura town and its environs have been experiencing conflicts embedded by attacks, looting, killing, burning of houses, and rape which has forced many residents to flee from their homes.

Kia Moses said that CODEP, which is the humanitarian wing of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio together with other national and non-governmental humanitarian organizations arrived in Tombura on July 6, 2021, and met with the County authorities after which they were permitted to carry out an assessment on the internally displaced persons in the area.

The humanitarian bodies that conducted the assessment included CODEP/Tombura-Yambio Catholic Diocese, World Vision, World Health Organization, World Food Program, Star Trust Organization, and Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) at State and County level.

According to Mr. Kia, there are three different locations hosting the internally displaced persons: those sheltering at St. Mary Catholic Church Tombura and St. Mary Primary school are 5074; those sheltering at Adeesa group compound are 2874; while 7,564 are staying at Gamunakpe; making the total number of IDPs in Tombura to stand at 15,512.

Kia further described that classrooms at St. Mary’s Primary school are being used at night by the IDPs to sleep, while school pupils use the same during the day for learning activities, a situation he referred to as “risky in terms of health and education interference.”

He pointed out that during their five days stay in Tombura town for the assessment exercise, three expectant mothers sheltering at St. Mary’s Catholic church gave birth. He said that the lives of the new babies are at high risk because of their vulnerability coupled with the many needs that are missing at the moment such as proper shelter from harsh weather, lack of food, mosquito nets among others.

He further indicated that while they were still in Tombura for the assessment, a male IDP who had attempted to go back to his home to look for some food was unfortunately shot dead by the unknown armed person (s); the situation he said has created more fear and uncertainty among the IDPs.

The humanitarian team is yet to reach Rii-Yubu Payam which is three miles away from the border of the Central African Republic and 24 miles away in the Western part of Tombura County. This is the second place that was badly affected as it has experienced similar attacks, looting, killings, rape, and burning of houses as armed groups stormed villages like Akpa, Mabenge, Gbatanzere, and Kpatanayo on June 21, 2021. Over 30 community members from the area were kidnaped by the armed group and to date, their whereabouts remain unknown.

According to Kia Moses, it is unclear what the concrete solutions devised by the local, State, and National governments to quench the ongoing insecurity in Tombura County are; however, the situation as of now is quite dire.

Kia Moses left his humanitarian colleagues still in Tombura and rush back to Yambio to make more appeal to well-wishers, NGOs, and Government to find all possible ways to donate and offer more humanitarian support as the little aid they carried along as they went for the assessment felt like a drop of water in the ocean.

On July 7, 2021, Western Equatoria State Governor, Lt Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba accused four prominent politicians who are based in Juba of fuelling the insecurity in Western Equatoria State. However, on July 12, 2021, Dr. Gaaniko Kennedy the Deputy Governor of Western Equatoria State publicly denounced on the radio what Governor Alfred Futuyo said terming its false allegations. The citizens of Western Equatoria State have remained at loss as their governor and his deputy keep trading accusations and counter-accusations rather than finding solutions to the problem.

By Elias Ginana Mangbondo