By Lodu William Odiya
Families displaced by recent fighting in Sokare, near the South Sudan-Uganda border, are appealing for urgent humanitarian assistance, including healthcare, food, and education for their children.
The families were forced to flee after clashes suddenly erupted in the area, catching many residents in the middle of their daily activities.
According to a statement from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), panicked parents and children fled their homes without having time to collect food, clothing, or other essential belongings.
“Everybody started running. I looked around for my children. I grabbed the youngest ones and fled with the rest of the community. I found my two older children two days later,” said Kila Grace Simon, a mother of six.
Another displaced resident, Charles Modi Wani, and his wife, Susan Ayte, said they fled with some of their children and grandchildren after seeing an armed vehicle enter their village.
“I ran from Matok,” Charles said, pointing to some of his neighbours who had also fled from the same village.
Charles and his family, together with Kila Grace and her six children, are now sheltering at the compound of the Episcopal Diocese Church of Liwolo, which opened its doors to displaced families.
The church has allowed the families to sleep inside the main worship hall at night. However, whenever church services or other programs are held during the day, the displaced families are forced to move their bedding outside.
While the compound has a borehole providing drinking water, the church lacks the resources to provide sufficient food and other essential supplies to the growing number of displaced people.
“The International Red Cross provided 30 kilograms of cereal, 10 kilograms of beans, five litres of oil, blankets and one tent, but this is not enough,” Charles said.
The families shared their concerns with a UNMISS patrol team that travelled for three days from Juba to Sokare to assess the situation and meet communities affected by the fighting.
Liwolo County Commissioner Wani Jackson Mule described the humanitarian situation as dire, saying many people escaped with nothing.
“People ran from the fighting without food, without any clothing, without sleeping materials, without utensils,” Commissioner Mule said.
The UNMISS team also met with a Brigadier General of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces to discuss the security situation, which was assessed as relatively stable at the time of the visit.
However, despite reaching relative safety, displaced families remain concerned about their children’s future.
“Our children do not have clothes and are missing out on their education,” Kila Grace said.
For families sheltering at the church, fleeing the violence was only the beginning of another struggle.
They now face an uncertain future, with urgent needs ranging from food and healthcare to clothing, household supplies, and access to education.
The UNMISS patrol said its mission was to listen to the concerns of the displaced communities firsthand and bring their urgent needs to the attention of government authorities and UNMISS leadership.
For the affected families, however, the priorities remain immediate: enough food to survive, access to healthcare, clothing and basic household items, as well as a safe environment where their children can return to school and rebuild their lives.