The Turkish Embassy in South Sudan with funding from Disaster and Emergency management Authority (AFAD) has donated agricultural tools to support farmers in Jamjang are of Ruweng Administrative Area.
Turkish Ambassador to South Sudan, Erdem Mutaf, said that funding from the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority of Turkiye enabled them to donate hundreds of agricultural tools to farmers in the northern part of the country.
“During our visit to Jamjang, we witnessed the situation in Ruweng administrative area, we saw some difficulties that agriculture is in dire need of some equipment, and we decided to mobilize our resources to donate agricultural tools to these people,” said Mutaf on Wednesday during the handover ceremony of the agricultural tools in Juba.
The target groups are refugees and host community in Jamjang.
“We are supporting many people in different parts of society, we are doing capacity building, disaster and relief assistance, with our really good cooperation with Arafat Jamal we have sent many not only in Juba but many other states in South Sudan,” said Mutaf.
Arafat Jamal is currently the out-going country representative of the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“Turkiye is very familiar with refugee issues, historically our experience with refugees started in the 15th century when the Sepharad Jews were expelled from Spain and they took refuge in Ottoman Empire,” said Mutaf.
Dut Akol Kuol, Director General for Protection and Refuge Affairs at the Commission for Refugee Affairs, said that they are very happy to witness the handing over of agriculture tools to refugee leaders.
“This is a great support to the refugees, it will change their lives and will contribute to livelihood activities that the refugees are currently doing,” said Kuol.
Kuol in early November visited Jamjang and held meeting with the farmers who particularly requested for agricultural inputs.
“The Turkiye government has done a lot, but especially the ambassador who is looking to do a lot of life changing activities with the South Sudanese communities and refugees,” he disclosed.
Ibrahim Zakaria, one of the leaders of farmers in Jamjang, said that the tools will help them to increase food production in the area.
“I would thank the government of South Sudan, and especially the people in Jamjang who have shared the land with us, and we also thank the donors and the host community in Jamjang and the Turkiye government and the people of Turkiye who supported us to receive this donation,” said Zakaria.
He also added that the security in Jamjang is conducive for them as refugees.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR country representative welcomed the donation by the Turkish government to boost agriculture production for refugees.
“I would like to appreciate Ambassador Mutaf, he is a man who has looked at the situation, who has made his own assessment and who has always acted on the interest of refugees and the people of South Sudan, this donation today is a result of witnessing, of seeing and of doing, so I would really like to thank the Ambassador and the government of Turkiye for this generous donation and also looking forward to a batch of partnership as we move ahead,” said Jamal.
