By Ijoo Bosco
The Caretaker Commissioner of Torit County and Mayor of Torit Municipal Council, Eddy William Ponsiano, has appealed to humanitarian partners for urgent support as a prolonged dry spell leaves communities struggling with food shortages and limited access to essential services.
Ponsiano appealed on Tuesday during a meeting with a team from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), where he briefed the mission on the humanitarian and security situation across Torit County.
The commissioner said the worsening conditions have pushed some residents to leave their communities and cross into neighbouring Uganda and Kenya in search of food and other necessities.
He urged UNMISS and humanitarian organisations to increase assistance to vulnerable communities, warning that food insecurity is affecting livelihoods while access to basic services remains limited.
Ponsiano also raised concerns over the condition of the county’s health sector, saying several health facilities have functional structures but lack essential medicines needed to serve the population.
He called for greater humanitarian and health-sector support to ensure that communities can access basic medical services without having to travel long distances.
According to the commissioner, several schools across the county lack adequate infrastructure, while some communities still have no schools at all, leaving children with limited opportunities to access education.
While humanitarian needs dominated the appeal, Ponsiano also updated the UNMISS team on the security situation in Hiyala Payam.
He said the situation between the Tirangore and Mura Hatiha communities has largely returned to normalcy following previous tensions.
However, he cited a recent incident in Oguruny village, where a pregnant woman and a girl were reportedly shot and injured, underscoring the continued need for peacebuilding and community reconciliation.
Ponsiano further informed the UNMISS delegation of a planned peace dialogue between the Illoli and Oguruny communities, scheduled for Saturday.
He expressed hope that the dialogue would help strengthen reconciliation, address grievances, and prevent further violence between the villages.
The head of the UNMISS team, Maj. Irene Kofantang, commended Commissioner Ponsiano for his efforts to calm tensions and promote dialogue among communities.
The meeting comes as Torit County faces interconnected challenges involving food security, access to health services, education, and localised insecurity.
For local authorities, addressing these challenges will require continued cooperation between communities, government institutions, UNMISS, and humanitarian organisations.
The commissioner’s appeal places the immediate needs of affected communities at the center of the county’s engagement with humanitarian partners, with food, medicine, education, and peacebuilding emerging as key priorities.