Women line up at food distribution center in Leer. (Photo: Kueh Mawich)

The Director of Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Leer County, Unity State, said half of the local populations risk starvation after their food cards were rejected by the system, in what is feared to be a ration cut by aid agencies.

Paulino Kueh Mawich said the area is facing severe humanitarian crisis characterized by food insecurity and floods that have affected more than 4,700 people.

The RRC Director said more than half of Leer population currently lacks access to relief food supplies due to missing vouchers from the UN food agency.

According to him, thousands of families who visited food distribution centers had to return to their homes empty-handed after their cards were not recognized by the system.

Mr. Mawich appeals to WFP to explain the problem in the food distribution system or correct any error. Eye Radio was unable to immediately reach the relief agencies to verify the issue.

The RRF official said flooding has submerged Guat and Koatlapour payams, displacing many residents to nearby to Leer town and higher grounds.

“We have some issues in Leer County due to the food distribution. We have more than half of the population in Leer County who did not receive their food due to no vouchers from WFP,” he said.

“Those people did not receive their food and we have some payams who were recently affected by floods including Guat and Koatlapour payams, whose residents have fled to the town.”

The humanitarian official urges a coordinated response from humanitarian organizations and local authorities to alleviate the situation.

He said there should be an immediate action is needed to secure food vouchers, provide emergency assistance, and address the needs of displaced individuals.

“The people were displaced from their homes. They went to some island and Leer town. Now the situation is very terrible to the people of Leer due to the flood and the shortage of food. So we have 4,791 individuals who were affected from two locations.”

Communities in many parts of Unity State rely on relief food after losing much of their livelihoods in multiple crisis including the civil war, subnational violence and floods.

According to OCHA’s Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2023, about 70,028 people representing 90 percent of Leer population, have humanitarian needs, due to the effects of conflict and displacement in February and April 2022.

Mawich calls on state and national government to respond to the severe food shortage and flooding.

“I request the South Sudan government, especially the Unity States government, to come for the reform because the situation is very difficult here in the land.”

“The people are facing starvation due to the shortage of food. the government and relief agencies should come and mitigate this disaster so that these people can access livelihoods.”