Arial view of Akobo County in Jonglei State. (Photo: Charles Wote/EyeRadio).

Perilous roads and highway banditry characterized by abductions have cut off relief and commercial supplies to vulnerable populations in the western part of Akobo County in Jonglei State, according to a relief official.

Nhial Lew Nyuot, the Coordinator of Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Akobo said humanitarian agencies in the area are only delivering aid by boats through the river.

In an interview with Eye Radio on Saturday, Lew said those residing away from the river banks are not able to be reached to bad road during the rainy season.

“Many humanitarians reside in Walgak center and the place like Balmach which is very near to Nasir is not accessible because there is no road and people cannot go by foot to reach the area,” he said.

“If you see the road between the Akobo east and west, there is a fear in between because there are kidnappers that can kidnap children, that take cars when it is a dry season.”

“When it is rainy season, people walk by foot from here to there, it takes almost 2-3 days by children and women to reach Akobo west and there is no way.”

“When you reach Kaikwi, bong those areas are not accessible by humanitarian because they are very far.”

The RRC official further said the effect of the 2013 and 2016 conflict has forced the population to depend entirely on humanitarian aid for survival.

Lew added that there are about 25 national and international NGOs offering mainly general food distributions, non-food items, nutrition services and other basic services to the community.

He called on the aid agencies to supporting the returnees with food and non-food items in the area.

Lew said since September 2023, humanitarian agencies have only been delivering food to the host community while returnees are depending on relatives as they have not received any food tokens.

“The major need here now is food assistance that is needed followed by shelter for returnees actually Akobo is a corridor is a route through Ethiopia and as well as Sudan.”

“If there could be assistance that could be given to the community or returnees who have come to Akobo, it would be good to deliver food first to them because this is what people want now.”

As of November last year, there were a total of about 17,041 individuals’ returnees registered and about 18,000 individuals registered since the beginning of this year alone.