By Jacob Onuha Nelson
The residents in Narus in Kapoeta East County, Eastern Equatoria State (EES), have called for urgent humanitarian help.
The call followed the recent clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) in the area.
In an interview with this outlet, some of the residents expressed that as many remain displaced, lack of essential services remains a challenge.
They called on the government, nongovernmental organizations, and UN agencies, as well as other well-wishers, to support and rescue the lives of the conflict-affected people.
Josephine Michael, a resident of Tarawa in Narus, testified that during the conflict households ran and left all their belongings behind; hence, there is a need for support.
“We are on the run. People are still fighting in Narus. They started fighting since on Wednesday Up to date. It’s now four days. We are in St. Joseph Parish, hiding for our lives,” Michael said.
She revealed that during the clashes the situation at the Father Priest Parish was tense; hence, many people were displaced.
Michael added that people such as the teenagers and the old people face starvation due to food shortages.
“Here at the Parish, the situation is dire and alarming. You don’t know where to go. There is no food, especially for children, for these four days,” she noted the situation.
Andrew Police, another resident of Narus, expressed that as conflict persists in the area, some residents stay in their various houses while others simply return back to get food.
“The bombardment of artillery is still continuing, shelling far places. Some people just risk lives by going back to their respective residences to cook food for their kids, while those who fear will sleep with hunger at the parish,” police stated.
Police stated that due to the conflict some residents were displaced to neighboring Kenya.
“Some residents ran in the bush, while others who own vehicles were able to run to neighboring borders like Nadapal and Kenya,” he said.
He urged the government to intervene and restore the situation in order to run their daily business activities.
“We urge the government to intervene and stop the shelling. Residents fear especially the sounds of the guns,” he wept.
However, on Thursday, Elia John Ahaji, State Minister of Information and Communication, told No. 1 Citizen Newspaper that the situation was normal and calm, adding that the residents were going about their normal activities.
“As I am speaking with you now, the situation in Narus town and its surroundings remains normal, and people are going about their normal business activities. But our organized forces, together with the youth, are on high alert, because the youth are not welcoming those wrong elements,” he said.
Narus has experienced recent security incidents, including attacks by rebel forces from Nadapal, which create significant challenges for the consistent and safe delivery of aid, as humanitarian organizations often face access restrictions, administrative hurdles, and security risks in such volatile areas.