Anglican Church donates to South Sudan refugees

Bishop of Diocese Northern Uganda Johnson Gakumba, speaks to refugees in Pagirinya Refugee Settlement which is home to over 30,000 refugees. Stephen Okello

ADJUMANI- The Anglican Church has donated non-food items to refugees in Pagirinya Settlement Centre in Adjumani District to about 600 South Sudan refugees.

The items include clothes, soap and other household items like jerrycans valued at Shs100 million to over 600 refugee.

The items donated by Northern Uganda Diocese with support from their partners.

Pagirinya Refugee Settlement is home to over 30,000 refugees.

The Bishop of Diocese Northern Uganda Johnson Gakumba, while delivering the items at the weekend, asked the United Nations to resolve the South Sudan conflict.

 “They have lost the meaning of their independence as the country clocks five years with no stability. What we see is just bloodshed,” he said

Bishop Gakumba said  the war in South Sudan  has greatly affected neighbouring countries like Uganda that are hosting the refugees since they are made to share resources like land, health services, education and other facilities which were planned  for the host communities.

More than a million people have fled their homes in South Sudan since fighting broke out in 2014, between government and rebel forces.

President Salva Kiir said it was a coup attempt, blaming soldiers loyal to former Vice-President Riek Machar for the trouble, but Mr Machar denies this.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and two million people have fled the country, while the UN estimates that six million people, or half the population, are severely food insecure.

Multiple attempts at peace deals have failed, and the UN and aid groups have said South Sudan has become the most dangerous country in the world for humanitarian workers.

The United States has imposed sanctions on two senior South Sudan government members, a former official and three companies accused of undermining peace, security and stability in the East African nation.