Civilians disembark from a truck at the border with Sudan. | Photo: UNHCR

About 7000 returnees and refugees who crossed into South Sudan’s Meluth County after fleeing the fighting in Sudan, are dire need of humanitarian aid, according to local authorities.

Meluth commissioner, Barac Chol Aginy said the displaced civilians lack adequate food, medicine and shelter as torrential rains beat down on them inside crowed facilities including in the local airstrip.

Chol said as the rainy season nears, the returnees are in desperate need of plastic sheets.

“The number of returnees arriving from Renk to the airstrip is increasing despite the evacuation efforts. Therefore, I demand an increase in evacuations or providing tents for them,” said the commissioner.

He calls on the Ministry of Humanitarians Affairs to provide evacuation and material support to the civilians to reduce overcrowding at the airstrip.

“I asked the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs to intervene by providing tents and medicine, and food for the returnees. I told him that if there is difficulty in transporting them by air, the ministry can rent boats,” he said.

The official said there are about 7,000 people crowded at the airstrip.

He also said the number of arrivals from Renk is still increasing due to the difficult situation at the far-flung border town.

Since the conflict erupted between Sudan rival military factions, around 100,000 people have crossed into South Sudan, according to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.