“We had to walk from RocRocDong County to Khartoum Jedit for almost four hours before we could make a final trek to Hai Masna. Our feet were pumping with pain and the only thing that glimpsed my mind was the relief of being in a safe environment.”
Achugo Aleu Gon narrated her ordeal as she breastfed her seemingly hungry baby. With 10 individuals including her, being the bread winner has been the most challenging thing ever since she left.
Former Jur River County was a bee of activities with a population estimated to be 128,000 before the clashes between cattle keepers from nearby states and the indigenous population. The clashes, just like wildfire gradually encroached on the areas which instilled fear in most of the population. The attacks by the cattle keepers escalated as the days passed and this ended up triggering revenge attacks from the youths of the former Jur River County. This meant that there was no room for normal day-to-day activities, and if by any chance the room was there, it would be clouded by fear. The previous year, there were agreements between the two groups which were supposed to help control the movements of the animals depending on the cultivating seasons. These agreements were violated and ended up causing tensions. The farmers’ crops were destroyed and to add salt to injury, people were killed. The only way to be safe was to flee the attacks.
Camp management ensured that all the IDPs who arrived were registered as they entered the collective sites. At the time most of the ones being received were mothers and children, this showed that majority of the men had remained behind to try and safeguard their property and livelihood.
“One of my close relatives got separated from us as we tried to make it out of RocRocDong, we really hope that he is still safe wherever he might be.”
A series of meetings were organized by camp management and this was the first step to be able to know how best the humanitarians could assist the displaced. The meetings comprised of different cluster partners so that we could have a joint response in the various sites and avoid pull factors which at times lead to duplication of services. There were also meetings with the communities to be able to understand what their immediate needs were and what challenges they were facing while they waited for the much-needed assistance. Though there were gaps in some of the responses due to limited resources, the most important need which was shelters was readily availed and before long, the registered members were given food by the partners responsible. This diverted the looming danger created by IDPs going to look for food in the nearby bushes. Mrs. Achugo recalls the period between the 4th of May 2019, when she arrived, and the 24th of May 2019 when registration began. “We would collect some wild leaves growing in the outskirts of the camp and supplement with the little food the host community shared. Some of my neighbors were enrolled in the nutrition program which also helped maintain their health. Medicine was readily available in the health center through the queues were at times longer.”
As Mrs. Achugo and the other IDPs received the different non-food items like mosquito nets, cooking sets, sleeping mats and blankets, sensitization by camp management on the use of the items ensued. The mosquito net usage was the one which was emphasized on and routinely the arrivals’ shelters were checked to ensure that there was compliance.
With all these in place, Mrs. Achugo appreciated the quick response that they experienced and also sighed for a lasting peaceful community where everyone coexists.
“For now I will start a tea business which I had been doing back in RocRocDong. I have gathered enough firewood and will sell off some to be able to supplement on my diet. Though I am at ease right now but my heart would love to return to my county.” said Mrs. Achugo.
Mrs. Achugo is one of thousands of IDPs who have benefited from the SSHF project to coordinate and manage camp activities within displaced areas in Wau town and its surrounding areas. Five collective sites are being managed which include Hai Masna, Lokoloko, Cathedral, Nazareth and St. Joseph. As of the month of June 2019, the population head count figures totaled to 15,014 individuals with 3,108 households. Since the civil war in 2016 July, people had been moving with intentions of getting safer areas which ended up being the collective sites and the POCAA. Most of the collective sites were church premises and this is where majority felt safe apart from the POCAA. Based on the success of proper and timely coordination, human dignity has been maintained and suffering has been alleviated.
