Women sell thatch in the area

Northern Bahr el Ghazal state’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission has expressed concern that vulnerable people in the state are not getting enough food.

Director for the state’s RRC, Deng Kuel Kuel, says community chiefs are not registering all those in need, in order for them to get assistance from aid organizations.

He accused some of the chiefs of refusing to submit names of people to the RRC because they had not paid household taxes to the local government.

“The food the NGOs bring is not enough for the whole community,” said Mr. Kuel. “I have told the local leaders this several times that the people they select should be the ones who have nothing in their homes.”

However, Chief Amet Mabior Yel denied keeping people off the registration list and said there is just not enough food for everyone who needs it.

“If they increase the support to 300 bags of sorghum, it will be enough for the number of vulnerable people, and they won’t have to demand more.

“Many people have not paid their taxes because they say the chiefs take the small amount of food brought by the NGOs.

“They are doing it in a way to avoid paying taxes, but when I tell them it’s not true that we are refusing to distribute food to them, they don’t understand.”

Since South Sudan’s independence, NGO’s have provided food for people with disabilities and those unable to grow their own food in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state.