Women at a food distribution site in Ulang County in Upper Nile State. Photo Credit: WFP/Gabriela Vivacqua

More than 6,000 returnees are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in Ulang County of Upper Nile State, the commissioner has said.

Commissioner Riek Gach Gatluak told Eye Radio that this influx of returnees from Sudan and Ethiopia has caused a shortage of food in the area.

He says that Ulang County started experiencing a shortage of essential goods due to a large number of returnees who arrived in August 2023.

According to Gach, his area will face severe food shortages in the aftermath if there’s no food assistance.

He appealed to the UN agencies and NGOs working in the field of humanitarian assistance to help the returnees.

Riek Gach revealed that in recent weeks 6700 returnees arrived in the area from Sudan and Ethiopia.

In the statement to Eye Radio, Commissioner Gach described the anticipated food shortage as alarming in the area.

“There are a lot of people here in my county in all eight Payams and any Payam has new people who have come from Gambela and the new people who are coming from Khartoum,” Commissioner Riek told Eye Radio.

“The problem is that there is hunger and there’s no food. The exact number we registered is 6,700 people including the people who are coming from Khartoum. A lot of people come from the Gambela region on foot,” he said.

“I appealed to the NGOs but they have not replied to my request.”

At least 230,000 refugees and returnees are known to have crossed into South Sudan from war-torn Sudan since April 15, as Juba opens five more border points to ease the movement of the displaced.