Morobo is one of the six counties in Central Equatoria state, South Sudan. Morobo County borders Uganda and Congo. The county is mainly occupied by Kakwa speaking people, Keliko and Lugbara. The people in Morobo are farmers doing local farming mostly for food and some for sale. Morobo is part of the green belt and also acts as a breadbasket for Yei and Juba.
There has been sporadic violence in Morobo County since the end of the establishment of South Sudan at the end of the Second Sudanese Civil War. The UN is working with local people to address these issues.
Joseph Mawa is the current commissioner of Morobo County.
Demography
Payams of Morobo
Morobo county is located in Central Equatoria state and its close to Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda which it borders. It has five Payams - Lujule, Gulumbi, Kimba, Wudabi and Panyume Payam. Each Payam consist of several Bomas
Gulumbi
Kendila boma
Kilikil boma
Girili boma
Kimba
Kaya boma
Yondu boma
Kimba boma
Lujulo West
Kembe boma
Yugufe boma
Kendre boma
Kembe boma
Panyume
Wudabi
Nyei Boma
Aluto Boma
Geri Boma
Economy and livelihood
Morobo County is located in the state of Central Equatoria. It is bounded to the north-west by Yei County, to the north-east by Lainya County, to the south-east by Uganda, and to the south-west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The county is located in South Sudan's greenbelt and has fertile soil, making it an ideal location for agricultural activities. Morobo County, according to FEWSNET (2018), is in the equatorial maize and cassava livelihoods zone. Groundnuts, sorghum, milt, banana, cassava, and maize are among the most common and marketable crops grown in the region, but farmers frequently struggle to obtain quality seeds due to trade and transportation issues.
A REACH assessment in 2018 revealed that while 88% of the population had access to a functional market, 100% of the population was estimated to be receiving food aid, and 88% relied on subsistence agriculture to support their households. Furthermore, families in the area reported eating one meal per day on average. Due to "unsafe access to land," half of the population was reported to be food insecure. Aside from agricultural occupations, half of the population reported owning cattle. The county is also well known for mineral extraction in South Sudan. According to a Cordaid report published in 2016, there were approximately 5,000 artisanal gold miners operating in the area, but it is unclear how much of this number has been impacted by the conflict.
Climate
Morobo has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw). It is warm every month with both a wet and dry season. The average annual temperature for Morobo is 29° degrees and there is about 981 mm of rain in a year. It is dry for 115 days a year with an average humidity of 68% and an UV-index of 6.
Climate Morobo by month
Infrastructure and services
Morobo County is located on the border with Uganda, making it a vital area for both human migration and trade. Kaya is one of the county's unofficial migration points. However, insufficient infrastructure, particularly roads and affordable transportation options, limits Morobo residents' ability to expand their agricultural activities to commercial levels. Residents' ability to access their land for subsistence agricultural livelihoods has also been hampered by the area's insecurity. Insecurity in the area, particularly in 2017, has resulted in the deterioration of schools, clinics, and homes, as well as the destruction of crops.
According to OCHA's (2019) Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2020, Morobo County has an estimated 81,200 people in need, which is approximately 78% of the estimated population reported in the HNO. According to the same report, Morobo County has the highest level of recorded landmine and explosive remnants of war, which have proliferated as a result of the recent conflict in the Equatoria region. This is especially problematic given the high number of IDP border crossings in the area. Landmines have also made it difficult for residents to access basic services in the area, such as healthcare and schools.