Silent Stream of Returnees to Eastern Equatoria
Every dawn, dusty buses and weary walkers reach Kapoeta, turning the market town into an unexpected reception point for South Sudanese escaping the tightening belt of Kakuma. Local officials count as many as 80 arrivals a day, a pace unseen since the 2016 border clashes.
Food Aid Cuts Behind Return Decision
Returnees interviewed by Eye Radio describe shrinking food rations, intermittent water and classrooms without books inside the Kenyan camp. Most blame recent reductions in donor funding, saying the two-kilogram monthly cereal allotment can no longer stretch through a week.
Kapoeta’s Limited Capacity Tested
Mayor Lotete Lomude says municipal stores hold only emergency medicines and maize flour, far below current demand. With schools reopening, classrooms double as dormitories for families lacking relatives, placing additional strain on teachers already juggling swollen pupil numbers.
Aid Agencies Weigh Response Options
The UN refugee agency acknowledges evaluating rapid assistance but warns funding gaps persist across the Horn. Relief NGOs in Juba discuss cash-for-work projects and seed distributions, yet logistical convoys must cross flood-prone roads that regularly cut Greater Kapoeta off from Torit.
Returnees Pin Hopes on Peace and Land
Despite hardships, many arrivals express relief at reclaiming ancestral plots after years in exile. Samuel Lopita, guiding his children toward Narus, says, ‘With calm returning, cultivating our own sorghum feels safer than queuing for handouts.’ His sentiment echoes widely along the dusty highway.
Regional Stakes for Stability
Analysts note that unplanned movements could pressure fragile services yet also stimulate local markets through labour and remittances. Sustainable reintegration, they argue, will depend on continued ceasefire observance and targeted livelihood support during the looming lean season.