Nine South Sudanese refugees arrested for rioting over delayed food delivery
South Sudanese refugees being served food. Many of them complain of hunger due to the food rationing by World Food Programme. Nine have been arrested for rioting over delayed food delivery. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO
What you need to know:
- From last year, WFP announced a food aid cut by 50 per cent due to shortage of funds and food across the globe.
- Meanwhile, government on Thursday said it had contained the Anthrax outbreak in a South Sudan refugee settlement that left one person dead and another hospitalized in the northwestern part of the east African country.
Nine South Sudan refugees have been arrested for rioting and damaging equipment at Omugo refugee settlement camp in Arua District, northern Uganda.
The refugees went on rampage and attacked data collectors whom they accused of not providing food for a month.
The West Nile Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Josephine Angucia, told Daily Monitor on Thursday that: “They (refugees) broke into the stores of World Food Programme (WFP) and stole wheelbarrows, hoes, slashes, three computers, lines, spraying cans, and food items.”
Police say some of the stolen items were recovered from the refugees.
The nine suspects are being detained at Yoro base camp police station pending transfer to Arua Central Police Station.
“When some continue to misbehave and not abide by our laws and procedures, they will be arrested and prosecuted in courts of law,” Ms Angucia warned.
One of the refugees, Mr John Adiga, told Daily Monitor that: “The refugees started complaining of water shortage after the water point constructed recently broke down. The refugees were further incensed by the delayed distribution of food because some of them had gone hungry for several days yet they cannot afford to buy food for themselves. They then attacked data collectors who had come from Imvepi.”
From last year, WFP announced a food aid cut by 50 per cent due to shortage of funds and food across the globe. This has, as a result, affected the refugees who mainly depend on handouts from the humanitarian agencies.
Meanwhile, government on Thursday said it had contained the Anthrax outbreak in a South Sudan refugee settlement that left one person dead and another hospitalized in the northwestern part of the east African country.
Health minister, Ms Jane Ruth Aceng, says the outbreak at Rhino Refugee Settlement in Arua District has been put under control with no suspected case reported in the last one month.
She is quoted saying said even in other parts of the country, Kween and Kiruhura districts, the disease has been contained.
