Hundreds of civilians displaced in the recent fighting in Abyei Administrative Area have arrived in Mayom County of Unity State.
The Mayom County Commissioner, Luka Cherey Riek on Monday confirmed the arrival of 969 internally displaced persons who fled fighting in Abyei Administrative Area since January 27, following deadly fighting between Ngok Dinka and armed youth from Twic community of neighboring Warrap State.
“We have received 943 displaced persons from Abyei administrative area, and yesterday we received another 26 individuals from the disputed Aneet Payam,” Riek told Juba Echo in Bentiu town.
The two communities have been engaged in longstanding dispute over ownership of the land in Aneet which separates them.
Riek said that they have allocated land for the internally displaced persons. In addition, he said that they have constructed a borehole in Kaikang North of Mayom County so that the IDPs access clean water.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are providing registration and humanitarian support to the new arrivals.
Riek said that most of the IDPs arrived with no food but with only their clothing.
“We gave them food as a government but it is not enough, right now we are coordinating with UNISFA in Abyei Administrative Area to transport the remaining IDPs to Mayom County,” Riek said.
