By Clement Aluma
YUMBE
South Sudanese refugees residing in Bidibidi and Imvepi settlements have expressed fear over an impending expiry of a program that guaranteed land security for their farming.
This comes at a time when the World Food Program (WFP) is reducing food rations to the refugees and encouraging self-reliance. The categorization of the refugees means that those in category three do not receive food from WFP and therefore need to look elsewhere.
Thomas Waru, a community-based paralegal with Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Zone III Bidibidi refugee settlement said evictions used to be rampant because of the land tenure system in the area.
“As you are all aware, German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) is coming to an end next month, it has caused fear to the persons of concern because me as a person on the ground and looking at the nature of cases that are arising, these people are going to be at risk and I would wish if GFFO should renew this project to ensure that POCs are supported,” Waru said.
Betty Ropani, a resident of zone III, Oyanga village said landlords used to use them to clear the land and they could just come to plant in the field that they have prepared.
“Cultivating our own gardens is very important because the majority of our people are now in category 3 which does not receive food from the World Food Program but landlords could just come and plant in gardens we had cleared even if we had agreements with them,” Ropani said.
Abdul Abbas, a landlord in the settlement who has given out 15 acres of his land to the refugees said he felt empathy for the asylum seekers as he often witnessed his colleagues defrauding the asylum seekers.
“I felt need that I should help these people because I was also once a refugee in Sudan and they helped us, they are just like us and that is why I have given part of my land to them, I always felt bad when my colleagues and others pretending to be land owners taking away land which the refugees have just cleared yet they are the ones who gave it to them,” Abbas said.
Dickson Odur, the media and communication coordinator at NRC said the skills they have imparted to the persons of concern will be able to transition them into self-sustaining livelihood but encouraged the donor community to continue with funding.
“We have imparted skills into them but the task ahead is huge and the demand is enormous especially after WFP cutting on the food rations, we encourage donors to continue supporting the persons of concern”, Odur said.
Gard Feni, the Yumbe district agriculture officer, said the refugees will be integrated into other government programs like PDM for sustainability. He said they always encouraged host communities to co-exist with the refugees even to give them land for cultivation.
The project that started in May 2021 is due to end next month. It helped the refugees to secure security of tenure with landlords by providing legal assistance.
