Returnees families station at a school in Manyo County. (Courtesy).

An official in Manyo County of Upper Nile state said Monday returnees fleeing the Sudan conflict have filled schools and church facilities in the area, with hundreds left without shelters amid the rainy season.

Mojwok Deng the coordinator for returnees said the situation has worsened after around 700 people arrived in Wadakona on Sunday night.

Deng said a few of the new arrivals are now stationed at Al-salam Primary School.

According to him, about 1,500 civilians are now settled in abandoned schools and church structures after arriving in Wadakona since the Sudan conflict started in April 2023.

However, the local official told Eye Radio that the public facilities are no longer enough for the influx of returnees.

“Basically, the schools are not taking them, even the number of schools is small, some of them were taken to church guest houses, and others were distributed in schools, these people are in need of shelter,” Deng said.

Mojowk calls on the government to provide land for resettling the displaced civilians, and humanitarian agencies to intervene as the situation deteriorates with the rainy season.

“We don’t know when the government will give them pieces of land, because this is what lacking. In addition to that, there is not enough food and drugs, so it will be good if there is NGOs to help.”

Since the fighting erupted in Khartoum, the UN has registered more than 200,000 people as having arrived in South Sudan, with 90% of them South Sudanese.