Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Southern Sudan

 
This is my seventh U N mission and now I am working as the Training and Public Outreach Officer for Renk County and Manyo County in State III, Upper Nile state of Southern Sudan. Renk is the most northerly of Counties in the Upper Nile State. It is bounded in the East by Ed Damazin, North West by Khosti, West by Manyo; South by Melut and Maban.

Because of its location, it is directly linked to Khartoum by both river and all season road. It is famous as an agricultural centre with a cotton industry. For this reason, Renk has some of the largest warehouses in the Upper Nile State with 10,000 ton capacities. It is 190km from Melut Team site and can be reached by road both during the dry season (4 hrs) and the wet season (within 6 hrs.) From the State Capital, it is 388km away and can be reached within 10 hours during the dry season.
During the wet season rain makes all the roads muddy and vehicles get stuck very often and will also affected by the floods. No paved roads in side the county except the tarred road to Khartoum.

Population: 137, 751 (based on 2008 Census)

Language: Arabic is widely spoken, as well as other ethnic languages such as Shuluk, Dinka and Burun. A few officials speak English
Religion: Christianity, Islam and Traditionalism.

People have limited resources and the literacy rate is very low. Most of the villages do not have access even to basic needs. Most of the traders are handling all the business and ruling institutions as well.

( Get back to you with more details)