They do know it's Christmas in South Sudan - Kiwi peacekeeper

New Zealand Defence Force

Chief of Army Major General Dave Gawn (centre) helps pack boxes with Mount Cook School students.

Amid the desolate sands of the Sinai Peninsula and the jungles of South Sudan, Kiwi peacekeepers will be enjoying barbecues and backyard cricket this Christmas.

They are among the 125 military personnel from the Navy, Army and Air Force who will be spending the holidays in far-flung corners of the world.

New Zealand personnel are currently deployed on 12 operations and United Nations missions across 13 countries, including Afghanistan, South Korea, Antarctica, South Sudan, Sinai and the Middle East.

Dean Paul/New Zealand Defence Force

Lieutenant Colonel Dean Paul at the United Nations headquarters in South Sudan.

For Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Childs, who has just begun a year-long deployment as senior national officer of the 26-strong Kiwi contingent of the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai, this year will be "a fair bit different" to his usual Christmas spent at the family bach in the Nelson lakes, with his wife and two children.

But he won't be missing out on all the festive fun, with the force putting on a special Christmas lunch.

"I think it's pretty typical Christmas fare - turkey, some sort of roast and plenty of dessert."

Childs will also be hosting a "good old-fashioned Kiwi barbecue", followed by a game of backyard cricket against the Australian contingent.

And there will even be a Secret Santa.

"The contingent has bought each other presents and we'll do a little gift ceremony as part of our Christmas festivities... I'm sure there'll be a few laughs for some of the gifts I've heard about."

Christmas in the Sinai is mostly "just another day" for the local people, and the force are able to celebrate the holiday without worrying about religious tensions in the region.

"People are just in general mindful that Christmas is a special time of year for most western nations and they respect that, and we get on with Christmas and enjoy it as best as we can."

In South Sudan, Lietenant Colonel Dean Paul works in the J5 division of the United Nations peacekeeping effort, helping to plan logistics and strategies for the coming months ahead.

He is part of a three-strong New Zealand contingent in the new country, which gained its independence from Sudan in 2011.

He will call his family back in New Zealand on Christmas Eve local time, which will be Christmas morning in New Zealand.

"Hopefully I can share in some of the excitement of Christmas back home, with my kids opening their presents and that kind of stuff."

His six-month deployment, which started in September, is his fourth overseas deployment in 20 years, with all of them falling over the Christmas period.

"It comes with the job, but times like Christmas Day are always the hardest."

Christmas on the base would be a quiet affair, with most people hoping for a relaxing day, he said.

"We'll have a big lunch with all the normal Christmas stuff but we're mainly hoping there isn't any action outside."

South Sudan is predominantly Christian - which answers Bob Geldof's question in his classic Live Aid song Do They Know It's Christmas Time At All?

"South Sudan has a large Christmas celebration but we won't be involved in that, we'll allow the community to celebrate by themselves."

His Christmas wish is to see the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan end, he said.

Back in New Zealand, and Returned Services Association chief executive David Moger said he would be pausing to raise his glass to all those who have served, and those currently posted overseas.

"We all recognise the service and sacrifice of our military personnel but, at Christmas, it becomes even more personal when they're overseas away from family and friends."

For nearly 100 years the RSA has sent Christmas parcels to those serving overseas.

This year children from Mount Cook School in Wellington joined with the RSA and the Defence Force to help pack the parcels, which contain Kiwi classics such as Marmite, reduced cream and onion soup mix, Anzac biscuits and Raro juice packets, as well as messages and cards.

"It can be difficult being away from your loved ones and there's nothing like receiving a message or gift from New Zealand," said Chief of Army Major General Dave Gawn, who helped pack the parcels.

"The parcels will help bring a bit of home to our deployed personnel during the Christmas season."

Funding is contributed from local RSAs, Countdown and the Navy, Army and Air Force Welfare funds so the parcels can be sent each year. 

 - Stuff