Hundreds of South Sudanese refugees at Joda checkpoint in Sudan’s White Nile state report acute shortages of food and plastic sheets as well as medicines.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Friday, several South Sudanese nationals expressed discontent about the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Households are experiencing food shortages and lack of other basic services amid heavy rains in the area. Most of them have come from Upper Nile state, which experienced severe violence earlier this year.

The refugees called on the Upper Nile state government to provide security so that they can return back to their homes.

“We are suffering badly owing to the lack of food and shelter and other services here. So I urge the government to restore the security situation so that we return back to our areas of origin,” said a woman who fled from Renk town.

Photo: South Sudanese refugees wait at a border gate in Joda, in the Jeblein locality in Sudan's White Nile State, 16 January 2014 (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)