Refugees Protest UN Food Aid Cutbacks at Gorom Refugee Settlement Camp
On Friday, refugees at the Gorom Refugee Settlement Camp, located on the outskirts of Juba City, staged a protest in response to the United Nations’ recent reductions in food aid.
Protest Over Food Aid Reductions
Community leader Olang Okoth of the Anyuak Community in Ethiopia informed the media that approximately 3,000 refugees from Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, and other countries residing at the settlement will no longer receive food rations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP). This cutback has raised significant concerns about the refugees’ survival.
“They determined who was at risk, and those affected by this decision had been anticipating how it would be implemented. They arrived on Thursday with a clear message: the regular refugees who had previously resided there would not be receiving food assistance,” Okoth explained.
According to the community leader, out of the 3,000 refugees at the camp, only 160 households, or 1,049 individuals, will continue to receive food aid, while the remaining refugees will go without. Okoth emphasized that the community held a meeting to address the situation and decided to raise awareness due to uncertainty about their survival without food. He highlighted that the rampant inflation in South Sudan exacerbates the risk for everyone.
“When the refugees learned about the reduction in food rations, many women and children came to the compound because today (Thursday) was when the UN was set to begin distributing cash for food,” he said. “People will inevitably suffer because they cannot secure enough funds to purchase food. Previously, we were able to buy some food with the small amount of money we received, but if this is entirely eliminated, we will face a serious problem.”
Okoth questioned the government’s and UNHCR’s plans for those left without food, asking, “What is the plan of the government and UNHCR if the rest of the people are not going to get anything?”
Dut Akol Kuol, the Director General for Protection at the South Sudan Commission for Refugee Affairs, stated that they are investigating the reduction in food rations. “We are looking into the situation in Gorom to determine the source of this rationing cut,” Kuol declared.
He also noted that the cutbacks have disproportionately affected Ethiopian refugees, stating, “The Ethiopian refugees staged a demonstration because the cut only impacted Ethiopians, not Sudanese.”
Attempts to reach UNHCR for their perspective on the reduction in food rations were unsuccessful.
The protest at the Gorom Refugee Settlement Camp highlights the critical issues surrounding food aid reductions and the urgent need for a resolution. The actions and responses of both the government and humanitarian organizations will be crucial in addressing the needs of the refugees and ensuring their survival in the face of these challenges.