It has been possible to deliver relief to the ruined city Bor in South Sudan where all the houses are either looted or burned down.
Finally. DanChurchAid and its partner organisation LWF have now succeeded in getting relief into the city of Bor in South Sudan, where some of the heaviest fighting during the conflict has taken place.
During the three month long conflict in the country it has been a great problem to deliver the relief to the many thousand needy. Ongoing fighting means several areas are inaccessible to relief organisations.
Before the conflict Bor was home to 300,000 inhabitants but it is estimated that there are no more than 20,000 left. The rest have fled.
“It makes an extremely strong impression to see the burned and looted houses and shops. The futility is emphasised by the random way the destruction hits. Every fifth house is burned down. The rest are still standing, but are looted,” says Peter Bo Larsen, leader of DanChurchAid’s office in South Sudan.
The fighting must stop
DanChurchAid has, together with LWF, distributed relief to 1,150 families, which corresponds to 4,500 people. They have received among other things blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and jerry cans.
Of the 20,000 people in Bor, about 7,000 are residents who have returned after having fled, and more can be on the way, says Peter Bo Larsen.
“We have to be ready to receive them, and one of the ways we can help is to distribute cash. That way they can buy what they need themselves, and at the same time we can attract traders and so make it possible for even more to return,” he says.
There is still heavy fighting several places in South Sudan, and Peter Bo Larsen emphasises that the security situation must improve if people are to return to Bor in large numbers.
