Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Albino Akol Atak addresses the press following a meeting with Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel in Juba on Tuesday, April 22, 2024. (Photo: Office of the Vice President – Economic Cluster)

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management has announced the launch of emergency food airdrops to displaced families in Ulang and Nasir counties, where recent military operations displaced thousands of civilians.

Speaking on state television (SSBC) on Tuesday, April 23, Minister Albino Akol Atak announced that the government will deliver food assistance by air to inaccessible regions and distribute aid directly in areas now reachable by road.

The minister did not specify the exact date of airdrops and the source of the food supplies, or name the partners supporting the airdrops. However, he stated that the intervention is in direct response to a directive from President Salva Kiir, communicated through Vice President for the Economic Cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, to provide urgent assistance to communities affected by the recent conflict.

“We are now going to start immediately airdropping food assistance to those areas,” said Minister Atak. “Those areas we cannot reach, we will drop food. In those we can access, we will deliver directly to the vulnerable on the ground.”

Minister Atak emphasised the sharp decline in international humanitarian funding, which has forced the South Sudanese government to fill critical gaps in relief services.

Alongside food supplies, the ministry plans to provide shelter, medical care, and other essential services to internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Following the SSPDF’s recapture of Nasir from armed youth on Sunday, April 20, the government hopes the latest intervention will encourage displaced families to return and begin rebuilding their lives.

On March 4, armed members of the White Army stormed an SSPDF military base in Nasir, resulting in the death of a senior general along with several other soldiers.

On Monday, April 21, General Paul Nang Majok, Chief of Defence Forces of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), urged displaced residents to return to their homes and take part in the ongoing peace and reconstruction efforts.

The appeal came during his visit to Nasir town, a day after SSPDF forces reclaimed the strategic area from the so-called “Army Youth” militias.