Refugees at the Wedweil settlement in Aweil West County of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State are facing challenges with poor health and education services. Camp Women Representative Nemat Adam Ahmed expressed concerns about the limited access to medical care for chronic conditions and the shortage of drugs. The lack of quality education opportunities for children is also a major issue, with language barriers hindering access to schools.
The camp, currently hosting 14,900 refugees from Sudan, has been struggling to provide adequate support since the conflict broke out in April 2023. Camp leader Abdallah Abdullah highlighted the extreme measures families are taking to cope, including going without food for days due to delayed distribution.
Head of the UNHCR field office in Aweil, Mohamed Tetan, emphasized the need for the government to provide land for farming to enhance self-reliance. Governor Simon Ober Mawut called for improvements in health facilities and promised to allocate land to refugees for rebuilding their lives.
With over 750,000 people arriving in South Sudan since the conflict in Sudan, it is crucial to address the pressing needs of refugees and ensure they have access to essential services for their well-being.