Awerial County
Forced to flee from their homes, 130,000 people are without resources
As you read in last week’s post, South Sudan has become embroiled in conflict since mid-December 2013; sadly, the crisis has only advanced since then. Bor, the epicenter of the conflict, has become a ghost town. Hospitals have been raided, bodies are strewn across the streets and the people have fled.
Thousands upon thousands have made the dangerous journey by boat across the Nile, escaping amidst a spray of crossfire with the hopes of reaching the opposite shore in Awerial County. Hundreds have died along the way, either from drowning or getting caught by stray bullets. Many who perished were children or women, who are the most vulnerable groups to begin with.
The 130,000 that did make it to Minkamman, Awerial County may have temporarily escaped the direct path of violence, but they have effectively been stranded in a resource-barren zone.
10,000 people have died in the last few weeks from the area’s lack of clean water alone, either as a result of dehydration or because of a cholera outbreak that stems from the Nile’s unclean water.
We may not be an emergency response organization ordinarily, but because our drilling staff is comprised of South Sudanese drillers that we have specially trained, we are able to act as one. We have mobilized our local team immediately to meet the desperate need for water.
Our team is now in Awerial County, creating fast-acting but sustainable clean water solutions for the hundreds of thousands in need. The Internally Displaced People in Minkamman are without a home and without security, but with your help, they can at least not be without water.
As always, it all begins with water – with it, we can help give these thousands the most basic resource they need to survive right now.
Because of these urgent needs, the UN has emailed us directly asking for help.