The poor road network between Raja and Firga in Western Bahr El Ghazal State has prevented delivery of food aid to over 4000 displaced people and Sudanese refugees in Firga and forced relief officials to consider an emergency airlift of supplies.

“We have now hundreds of metric tons of food and drugs to deliver to our people but no way,’’ said Peter Nenebubu, Raja County Secretary for Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, in an interview with Radio Tamazuj.

He reported that his office and UN-OCHA have organized for 370 metric tons of different food items and 19 metric tons of drugs to be sent to Firga.

The officer explained that the delivery is delayed by lack of planes to airlift the aid to Firga. He disclosed that they are still trying to get the UN to help them with a plane to airlift the food to Firga. The place is currently not accessible by road due to flooding from the River Boro and its tributaries coupled with bad roads.

“We have made a rough estimated that the aid may need 37 trips of airlifting to Firga,’’ he added.

The relief official reported that there are no storehouses in Firga and before the food is delivered they need to put up a storehouse where the food will be stored if taken. He further added that his county will have to provide security for the food once taken to Firga.

“Last month when we went to Firga there was hunger and up to now I believe the situation is worse,’’ related Nenebubu.

UN agencies made an assessment mission to Firga late last month after hearing reports of suffering among the refugees. The team which included the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission left behind the already-suffering people without food and no help from anywhere else.

Firga lies near the eastern boundary of Kafia Kinji, a disputed savannah woodland area with mines and a wildlife preserve. Information from the area is only available from travelers coming from there since there is no telephone service.

Photo by Radio Tamazuj: Displaced people show a sick child to a UN Refugee Agency worker in Firga, Western Bahr El Ghazal, 25 July 2012.