More than 1,000 people displaced by recent fighting in Yei River County are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with local leaders appealing for urgent intervention from aid agencies.
On Friday, Yei River County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme visited Pokula, where families uprooted from Payume and Marju sub-Bomas have been sheltering for nearly two months.
He described the conditions as “painful,” warning that children, women, and the elderly are surviving without food, shelter, schools, or medical services.Yei leaders
“Many of them are sleeping in the open, without food, education, or medical care. This is a painful situation that requires urgent humanitarian response,” Commissioner Taban said.
He urged young people in the host community to help construct temporary shelters and remain alert to possible cholera outbreaks, noting that local hospitals are already short of essential drugs. Despite the hardship, Taban appealed for calm and encouraged solidarity until humanitarian assistance arrives.
Accompanying the commissioner, SSPDF Commander Joseph Garang urged families to remain hopeful, assuring them that security forces are working to restore peace. “Hold onto faith in God, because every suffering has an end,” he said.
Community leaders echoed the call for urgent relief. Sebit Felix, Executive Chief of Pokula Boma, said the commissioner’s visit reassured the displaced that their plight is not forgotten. He noted that host communities have been sharing their limited resources despite receiving no external support. “For two months, we have survived without assistance, yet our people continue to coexist peacefully,” Felix said.
Among the displaced is Rose Neyema, a mother who described the daily struggle for survival. “We are in the bush without shelter, food, or medicine. Many of us go hungry because we cannot access farms or markets due to fear and harassment from armed groups,” she explained.
Local leaders have renewed appeals for humanitarian partners to respond swiftly, warning the crisis will worsen if ignored. For now, families in Pokula remain caught between insecurity, hunger, and disease—waiting for relief.
