IOM Courtesy - of - africanbrains.net

The International Organization for Migration says some of its staff will continue to work in Malakal to help the people displaced by violence.

Fighting which broke out in Malakal last week between government forces and forces loyal to former Vice President Dr. Riek Machar compelled many international N-G-Os to evacuate their staff yesterday.

The I-O-M Information and Reporting Officer for South Sudan, Matthew Graydon, told Eye Radio’s Sundown show that it will continue to maintain presence in Malakal although the agency has evacuated some of its staff.

“The recent fighting has displaced even more people and made it difficult to get assistance,” he said. “But we are committed to staying there and assisting people.”

Mr. Graydon said I-O-M is sending more staff to Malakal to reinforce the supply of water and hygiene.

“We are rotating them out to ensure that they can come back and rest then we can send staff; particularly, we are sending more staff to reinforce our water, sanitation and hygiene action there because the big concern is that people have no enough water to drink.”

Mr. Graydon said I-O-M is conscious about the safety of its staff working there.

Currently I-O-M has more than 30 staff in Malakal assisting those who have been displaced by the fighting.