Tambura County Refugees: A Humanitarian Alarm
A Catholic bishop has issued an urgent appeal after meeting more than 4,000 refugees from the Central African Republic in the Rii-Yubu area of Tambura County, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan. He described their living conditions as “extremely distressing” (Sudans Post).
Bishop Kussala’s Statement: “A Wound to My Heart”
In remarks shared in a statement, Bishop Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio said: “My heart was most deeply wounded in Rii-Yubu,” after encountering refugees including unaccompanied children, women and older people (Sudans Post).
He framed the displacement as a direct consequence of violence in the Central African Republic, alongside South Sudanese returnees fleeing violence elsewhere, stressing that the suffering is “urgent and undeniable” (Sudans Post).
January 23, 2026 Press Statement After a 10-Day Mission
The appeal followed a ten-day pastoral mission across Tambura County. According to the Diocese, the journey ran from Yambio through Ezo and into Tambura, combining religious ministry with observation of humanitarian conditions amid prolonged insecurity and displacement (Sudans Post).
The bishop said the visit revealed both deep hardship and notable resilience within local communities, an assessment consistent with the Diocese’s description of weakened social cohesion and continuing humanitarian pressure (Sudans Post).
Call for Coordinated Aid: Government, NGOs, Church
Bishop Kussala called on the government, humanitarian agencies, NGOs, the Church and the international community to mount an “immediate, coordinated and humane intervention” as needs rise in refugee-hosting areas (Sudans Post).
In Rii-Yubu, he warned that the concentration of CAR refugees and returnees has overwhelmed local coping mechanisms, leaving many without adequate shelter, food and medical care, according to the statement (Sudans Post).
Faith Mission Work and Community Stabilisation Efforts
During the mission, the bishop and his team celebrated Mass, administered sacraments, prayed with communities, and blessed families and institutions. The Diocese also inaugurated Church-supported facilities aimed at restoring hope and stability (Sudans Post).
The Diocese reported severe logistical challenges, including impassable roads, vehicle breakdowns and long delays. It said the mission continued uninterrupted as an expression of solidarity with isolated and vulnerable communities (Sudans Post).
Tambura Peace Outlook: Unity, Non-Retaliation, Fragility
While praising residents for maintaining unity and humanity through hardship, the bishop urged communities to reject revenge and division. He cautioned that peace in the area remains fragile and must be protected and nurtured (Sudans Post).
The statement situates the current emergency in a longer pattern of violence in Tambura County since 2021, linked to communal tensions, armed youth attacks and revenge killings, with wide impacts on farming, trade, education and health services (Sudans Post).
Medical Support and Local Economy Under Pressure
The Diocese commended volunteer medical doctors from Greece, referred to as the Heart Doctors, for providing free healthcare services across several locations including Yambio, Nzara, Ezo, Banduguyo, Rii-Yubu and Tambura during the mission (Sudans Post).
It also praised the business community for continuing to supply essential goods despite insecurity and economic hardship, and thanked state authorities, county administrations, security forces and humanitarian partners for support and for encouraging peaceful coexistence (Sudans Post).
What Aid Agencies Say: Assistance Still Needed
Even with relative calm reported in recent months, humanitarian actors have warned that conditions remain fragile. The Diocese’s statement aligns with that caution, emphasising that urgent assistance is still required for displaced people and refugees in Tambura County (Sudans Post).