10-Month-Old Babies Die Of Starvation In ECS IDP Compound, South Sudan

Five year old having his ony meal a day, Photo Credit: [Lucy Beck/CARE]

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Free $30 Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Free $30 Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

Internally Displaced Persons sheltering at the ECS church in Wau town have said reported that at least two infants of only 10 months died this morning due to starvation at the camp.

WAU, 04 April 2017 [Gurtong] –According to the family of the deceased, the infants had gone for three days without food.

The IDPs are disappointed with the Mayor’s latest decision that was made on Saturday of suspending aid agencies from delivering food to the camp.

 “Today this morning, two children died of hunger because since they arrived from the village three days ago they had nothing to eat. Their mother has a ratio card but has been denied food.

The government has instructed aid agencies not deliver food until people move away from the camp. But as you can see many are now suffering and children are dying of hunger,” said one of the IDPs who requested for anonymity.

On Saturday, Wau town Mayor, Mel Alec ordered UN agencies helping the displaced persons at the camp to suspend food distribution at the camp until all IDPs sheltering at ESC compound are moved to Masana Biir, a move that has been rejected by the IDPs.

“My name is Akello, you know people ran away from other places to here in order to be given assistance. Sadly there is no help coming anymore because they want us to be moved to Masana Biir. This Masana where we ran away from it is because our people were killed there, we have seen our relatives being killed there over and over again and now they want to take us back to die. We shall die in this camp we will not go,” said a frustrated Akello.

When contacted by Gurtong, Wau town Mayor Mel Aleu Goc dismissed any claims of death due to starvation saying the children might have died of a disease.

“If a child has malaria, they may die if no treatment is given to them. Anything can kill them but it is not hunger. Up to now, I have not received any death report of children. Am still considering this as a rumour until I receive a report in the office,” said Mel.

Mel said that the government has directed the NGOs to offer the IDPs treatment and water.

“We have directed NGOs to offer treatment. There are some people in need of water, water is being taken to them. Things like food items, we have allocated them to only vulnerable people like the disabled. These are the people who are in need of help but anybody strong enough who can move to residential areas should not be provided for. They will be provided for food when in Masana, be it tomorrow or the day after,” he said.

Mel said the municipal council will start repatriating the IDPs to Masana Biir where they will be taken care of.

 “What is remaining now is just to repatriate these people and us in the Municipality, we have completed the preparations for the repatriation process and as soon as we get fuel, we will start the repatriation of these people,” said Mel.

Share with friends
You can publish this article on your website as long as you provide a link back to this page.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*