The Situation

The 21-year old current civil war in the Sudan has caused massive and severe suffering for the people of Duk County. This includes massive displacement, collapse of social infrastructure as well as the economy, increased spread of diseases in the area that can be possibly treated if help can be obtained. There is unendurable poverty, insecurity and an unbearable death rate among our people, which has been caused by the war-related disaster. It has been estimated that two million lives have been lost in the war and war related causes and another four million more have been forced into refuge or internal displacement.

The entire population of Duk County has felt the negative impacts of both the civil war and dreadful diseases that ranks with worst in human history. The destruction of their social structures, livestock and agricultural production has forced them to massively migrate to neighbouring countries and camps in the Equatorial region of Southern Sudan.

With the prospects of peace negotiations and political settlement in the Sudanese conflict looming, several humanitarian bodies are involved with repatriations plans for these refugees from the neighbouring countries and from the internally displaced people. Over 19,000 Internal Displaced People (IDPs) from Duk County will presumably be transported back to their areas with the onset of peace. The situation of these returnees upon their arrival back home is of a great concern to Duk County. The living and the health standards are very poor. There is not even one single health Dispensary in the area. The few livestock they have now are dying of diseases as the owners watch helplessly. There are no schools for the returning children and they will have no access to health care services. They will suffer from many more challenging situations that might be ahead of them.