Displaced settling in at UNMISS bases

9 Jan 2014

Displaced settling in at UNMISS bases

9 January 2014 - Nearly a month after fighting began in South Sudan, thousands of civilians taking refuge in UNMISS camps in Juba show few signs of returning home.

Some of the displaced persons, who say they feel more secure living in UNMISS compounds than in their homes, have set up businesses selling tea, food, vegetables and other essential goods at high prices.

“We get them from the market outside the camp at a retail price so one has to get a marginal profit to (ensure that business thrives),” said Mary, who sells tomatoes, onions and other vegetables. “These commodities are very rare nearby and yet public transport is not available for us here.”

In addition to water provided by UNMISS and other humanitarian partners, commercial tankers are providing it for use in preparing food and water for sale.

UN agencies and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working in collaboration with the mission to provide essential services for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) like shelter, health care, food and water.

Some said work was becoming increasingly challenging as numbers of local civilians living at the UNMISS bases continued to grow.

“The workload is really heavy. We have just finished (registering) IDPs in Tong Ping base and now we are here too (another base at UN House) without any rest,” said Boutros Laki, who works with the International Organization of Migration. “The number increases daily and the space is becoming too small for them.”

He said the UNMISS base may encounter congestion due to dwindling space for accommodation and plastic sheets for temporary sleeping shelters in both bases. Another major challenge was provision of water and latrines, which could spark disease outbreaks.