More than 200 returnees from Maji Village in Magwi County of Eastern Equatoria State have on Friday assembled at the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission office in Magwi asking for support with basic needs and shelter.
The majority of the returnees are women, children, and elderly people who trekked from Maji village about 10 kilometers from Magwi County Head Quarter to seek help through the RRC office in Magwi
One of the returnees Oboma Joseph Achire who returned in July 2023 from the Mahaji refugee settlement in Adjumani says, life has become difficult in the camp ever since the food ratio was reduced and some were completely cut off from getting food and this forced him to return home
Joseph worried that South Sudanese Citizens in the camp would face challenges in accessing education, medication, and food, especially the ones
He said drought destroyed all crops planted therefore calling on the NGOs and the government to provide food and education for the children.
“Following what is happening in Uganda as I witnessed by myself, life is becoming difficult, the ratio is cut off, I am seeing education is becoming difficult for our citizens who are there, the hospital is becoming a problem, I will not go back,” he said.
Some women lament for food, shelter, and medication to support them Regina Laker Okun, said they hardly eat due to a lack of food
Another woman who returned from Omijo refugee settlement and preferred to be anonymous said they were faced with sexual abuse in the camp as they struggled to get food for their children since the food ratio was reduced and this forced her to return home
She is therefore calling for assistance from the NGOs, the Government, and well-wishers since they returned empty-handed
“The suffering that brought us from there is too much, even firewood you are not allowed to fetch, women are raped there in Uganda and the ratio is reduced, only three kilograms to feed you for the whole months.”
Washington DC Okwera the chief of Maji says he received more than three hundred households from Uganda who voluntarily returned in the last seven months with about 2 to 3 households daily
He calls upon the government and NGOs to give assistance to the returnees who visited the office of RRC and those left at home.
“Am urging that the Non Governmental organization and the government join hands to support the returnees.”
Responding to the returnee’s complaints, Mr. Salfa Ben Okeny Magwi County coordinator for the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission welcomed the complaints from the returnees and promised to coordinate with humanitarian organizations to support the returnees
Ben however cited that any returnee who lasted for one year is not reliable for any assistance
“Those who raised their complaints in a smart way like this, we don’t have a problem, we welcome you to share with us the problems and we forward them to where they can reach” The County Commissioner has yet to comment on the matter.