South Sudanese refugees die in search of food after cut in UN food aid

They fled to Uganda to find security and a better life … Today, many South Sudanese refugees are forced to return to the devastated lands they had left behind due to lack of funding from NGOs. .

‘‘We fled and arrived at this camp, but the food is not enough. It’s very hard here with a family of 10 people. I can not feed them all. I decided to go back to South Sudan to find food and if I get killed, I will die there, but starving is too painful,’‘ said South Sudanese refugee, Pastor Charles Mubaraka. Oliver Wani was one of them. Last month, promised meals were missed. This 45-year-old farmer decided to return home. His lifeless body was found two weeks later.His father said his deceased son met his untimely death after he went back home in search of a basic necessity like food.

‘‘I was with my son at the camp, but because of hunger, he went back to South Sudan to look for food. We went looking for him and we were told that he was killed on his way back and that his body had been thrown along the road,’‘ revealed Timon Wani.

Each refugee receives a ration of cereals, beans, oil and salt each month, but the UN World Food Program delayed in October, depriving them of food.

The National Director of World Vision, Gilbert Kamanga said ‘‘some refugees may decide to return home sooner than they should, that is before peace is restored. Our wish is for every refugee to return to his or her country of origin when there is peace. But without support, we risk losing lives instead of protecting them’‘.

In October, at least eight refugees were killed after returning to South Sudan.

For four years, the conflict has left tens of thousands dead, and forced more than 4 million South Sudanese to flee their homes creating the biggest refugee crisis in Africa since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.