3 April 2014 With no political solution to the conflict that has torn South Sudan apart in sight, senior United Nations officials working in the country stressed today that they are in a “race against time” ahead of the rainy season to help prevent a health and hunger catastrophe.
Hilde Johnson, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS[1]), told a news conference[2] in the capital, Juba, that plans are under way to establish alternative sites for tens of thousands of civilians who sought protection in UN compounds.
It is estimated that 70,000 civilians are currently sheltering at UN compounds around the country which opened its gates to offer protection when the fighting between Government and opposition forces began in mid-December 2013. Overall, about a million people in South Sudan have been forced from their homes due to the conflict.
“It was always clear to us that our UN compounds were never designed to accommodate such huge numbers of people for such a length of time,” Ms. Johnson stated. “The conditions have been very difficult from the outset. The sites are alarmingly over-crowded and basic services not more than rudimentary.
“With the rainy season now settling in, conditions are getting worse,” she said, warning that the sites in Tomping and Malakal, in particular, are at imminent risk of turning into “death traps.”
These areas are likely to get flooded during the upcoming rainy season, and have to be closed before there is an outbreak of deadly water-borne diseases, such as cholera and typhoid.
Following the violent rains that raged over Juba a couple of weeks ago, half of the latrines in the Tomping protection site collapsed and the drainage systems were severely damaged. “As the rains increase, we all may find ourselves with a health catastrophe on our hands,” said Ms. Johnson.
As such, the Mission has decided to close the Tomping protection site in May. Several hundred internally displaced persons from that site have already been relocated to a new site in the Jebel area adjacent to the UN House. Once the construction of the new site is complete, all of the displaced will be transferred there. “We are in a race against time to establish the alternative sites,” said Ms. Johnson.
The envoy stated that the best option, however, is for all displaced persons to be able to go back to their homes in safety and dignity. “This means that peace and security need to reign in South Sudan. UNMISS calls on all the parties to stop the fighting that has resulted in so much suffering, and continue negotiations in good faith towards a peaceful solution to the conflict.”
Also calling for a real cessation of hostilities was Toby Lanzer, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan and deputy head of UNMISS, who described the situation in the country as “extremely serious” and one of the greatest humanitarian challenges he has ever seen.
“It exceeds what I saw in Darfur,” said Mr. Lanzer, a seasoned UN relief official. “But it could get a lot worse and we need to prepare ourselves for that.”
As a result of the devastating consequences of the conflict, South Sudan is classified as an “L3” humanitarian emergency by the UN, the highest level accorded by the world body. The other two countries in this category are the Central African Republic and Syria.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, where met with the donor community, Mr. Lanzer noted that there are 3.7 million people in South Sudan who are already at risk of severe malnutrition. “It is all about April and May,” he said, referring to the planting season that is so vital to ensure a harvest in October and November.
He underscored the need for a halt to the fighting so that people can feel safe enough to return to their fields and plant their crops, warning: “If we miss the planting season, there will be a catastrophic decline in food security.”
The UN and its partners need $232 million for the next 60 days so that they can provide enough assistance in four key parts of the country – Unity, Upper Nile, Jonglei and Lakes.
“My message to donors is: Don’t be shy, don’t wait. Every dollar that’s given today can enable us to help flood South Sudan with seeds, with tools, with fishing nets, to help enable people to look after themselves,” he stated. The funds will also enable agencies to pre-position relief ahead of the rainy season and to continue to help people in the second half of the year.
“I don’t the time has come yet where a comprehensive peace is on the cards today. We’re not there yet. The time isn’t ripe for that. The wounds are too fresh. However, there are things that could be put in place at the moment to take pressure off people to enable them to access their fields,” Mr. Lanzer stated.
“I think that a real cessation of hostilities which the parties to the conflict respect, and which enables people to plant and cultivate, that could be a very important first step in the right direction.”
References
- ^ UNMISS (www.un.org)
- ^ news conference (unmiss.unmissions.org)
Source http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47497&Cr=south+sudan&Cr1=
Newer articles:
- Ruto speaks on South Sudan peace process - 04/04/2014 12:00
- South Sudan will starve without help, UN warns - 04/04/2014 06:00
- Obama clears way for South Sudan sanctions - 03/04/2014 23:43
- South Sudan: UN Warns of Disaster - 03/04/2014 21:57
- South Sudan Demands Apology Over Western Diplomats' Letter - 03/04/2014 21:19
Older news items
- South Sudan refineries on hold due to conflict: oil ministry source - 03/04/2014 18:00
- South Sudan on verge of Africa's worst famine since 1980s: UN - 03/04/2014 17:34
- south-sudan-food-line-reuters-030414.JPG - 03/04/2014 14:40
- South Sudan assures UN of personnel safety - 03/04/2014 11:15
- Food air drops start amid severe hunger in South Sudan - 03/04/2014 08:57
Latest news items (all categories):
- South Sudan needs ‘civic education’ before elections, says bishop - 16/01/2025 16:42
- South Sudan parties set to resume peace talks in Kenya - 16/01/2025 16:39
- Abandoned but not forgotten – the invisible crisis in South Sudan - 16/01/2025 16:35
- The SAF has committed barbaric atrocities against South Sudanese refugees in Wad Medani - 16/01/2025 16:27
- Syria 2025: The historical Syrian project: From revolution to a modern inclusive civil state - 16/01/2025 16:10
Random articles (all categories):
- South Sudan: Revise National Security Service Bill - 27/07/2023 07:49
- South Sudan: Concerned about thousands cut off by fighting, Security Council urges calm in Wau - 01/07/2016 18:04
- East African countries to hold joint military drills in Uganda - 24/02/2022 01:50
- African Union suspends Sudan over violence against protesters - 07/06/2019 00:29
- South Sudan's ceasefire monitors concerned about slow implementation of cantonment sites - 06/08/2019 05:54
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 61791 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 22309 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 21498 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 19065 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 18830 times