Mission 21 Aids 500 Drought-Hit Families in Pageri as Famine Risk Grows

(PAGERI, MAGWI COUNTY)—Mission 21 has provided food, household supplies and farming tools to 500 drought-affected returnee households in Pageri Payam, Magwi County, as worsening dry conditions threaten food security and livelihoods.

The humanitarian response, led by Mission 21 South Sudan Humanitarian Manager Leonard Mambo from Sept. 5 to 6, also included the rehabilitation of community boreholes to improve access to safe water.

The assistance was distributed based on verified returnee lists provided to Mission 21, with beneficiaries selected according to the number of people who had returned and those still living in the area without previous support.

The 500 households received beans, salt, maize flour, cooking oil, mosquito nets, mats and farming tools, including hoes, pangas and other implements for clearing farmland.

Mission 21 also supported the rehabilitation of community boreholes as part of efforts to improve access to safe water and strengthen the community’s resilience amid worsening drought conditions.

Mambo said the assistance had arrived at a critical time, with humanitarian reports indicating that Pageri and other parts of the country had experienced minimal to no rainfall this year.

He said the prolonged dry conditions had compounded existing challenges, leaving families facing severe food insecurity and limited livelihood opportunities.

“With no rain, families have little or no livelihood opportunities,” Mambo said. “This timely support helps families continue surviving while awaiting better conditions.”

He said the community remained hopeful that the assistance would help affected families cope with the continuing drought.

Chief Maku Felix of Pageri Boma welcomed the intervention, particularly its support to drought-affected residents and returnees arriving from refugee camps in neighbouring Uganda and Kenya.

But the chief warned that continued lack of rainfall could put the area at risk of famine.

He urged Mission 21 to consider extending agricultural support ahead of the next planting season so that families can resume farming if the rains return.

“I am appreciating Mission 21 for the support to my people. This has given a smile and survival to many families,” Felix said.

The response comes as drought conditions place additional pressure on communities already struggling to maintain livelihoods and food supplies.

For returnee households, the challenges are particularly acute as families rebuild their lives after returning from neighbouring countries while facing limited access to basic services and productive resources.

Mission 21 said it continues to support vulnerable returnee and drought-affected communities in South Sudan through humanitarian assistance and recovery activities aimed at reducing suffering and helping communities rebuild their livelihoods.