By Jacob Onuha Nelson
The Eastern Equatoria State government has appealed on humanitarian partners to rescue returnees who are stranded in Nadapal, a boarder between South Sudan and Kenya.
In a phone interview with this outlet on Friday, John Elia, the Eastern Equatoria state Minister of Information confirmed that twenty-two returnees rescued by Governor Louis Lobong Lojore, trekking with luggage to reach Kapoeta county.
“We are appealing to the humanitarian partners to focus their effort to the border points, to receive the help in receiving and in the reintegration process,” Elia said.
The minister reiterated a call for humanitarian partners to render their assistance and reintegrate the returnees stranded to come back to their homeland.
According to the Minister, he encouraged the returnees to come and integrate into their respective communities to participate in natural business such as cultivating, building their houses and feel normal as proud citizens.
He said the humanitarian partners operating particularly in Eastern Equatorial State, should go to Kapoeta East, Magwi and Ikotos of Eastern Equatoria State headquarters – the border points where the refugees are received.
“We the government, we have taken the lead in receiving them. They should join us and we work together,” information minister noted.
Elia underscored the state government received less, the returnees claimed that there several more thousands still stranded in Lokichogio a county in Kenya trekking to return to South Sudan.
“And since they’re still in Lokichogio, or the Loki is under another sovereign state, we the state government cannot go and interfere from there. And we leave the territory of Kenya”.
“But as soon as they arrive, our state, we will work together with our partners to make sure these people are perfectly refit and help to integrate into their localities, to their relatives, whichever county they have come from” he added.
However, the situation in Kenya’s Kakuma Camp marked severe food insecurity due to the aid cuts that led to increased hunger, violence and psychological distress among refugees.