A biometric authentication failure at the General Food Distribution (GFD) in Mingkaman has reportedly affected over 4,000 households.
A biometric POS machine normally recognizes two people – principle and alternative. A principal is the main member of a household and an alternative, a child. But during this month’s distribution, the system rejects both principal and alternative.
Each person receives 7.5kgs of sorghum, 500ml of oil, half kilogram of peas, and 300 grams of salt.
Amuor Deng Bul, mother with family size of four members, claims she had been receiving food there since February. However, the machine rejected her despite being the principle.
“They say the machine cannot recognize me but I am the principle and my three children are the alternatives,” Amuor told Mingkaman FM.
“The card declined but we have no other source of food with my children. My worry is what I will give to my children. They are suffering now and I have nowhere to take them to.”
Another complainer, who identified herself as Aluet Buol was registered with her four alternatives earlier this year as flood victims, said:
“Since the cards were changed to scope cards with human head, I have never received because my card failed to print though many cards were printed.”
In response, Paul Nyingeer Deng, the field coordinator for Plan International in Awerial, says the affected families will be served during the short cycle before the next GFD.
“It will not reach July. There is what we call mini-cycle or short-cycle, which will be created and those who were found with issues to be resolved in the capacity of the system will be helped,” Nyingeer stated.
More than 60,000 households have received their rations during the last five days, according to Plan International.