18 February 2014 - Civilians sheltering at UNMISS in the Unity State capital Bentiu have moved to a new, more spacious and better-serviced camp within the mission compound.

UNMISS prepared the site’s ground, ditch and berm, Mongolian soldiers are manning the watchtowers and armed Nepalese police are patrolling the area.

Humanitarians laid out the camp and are providing services in consultation with communities.

Bentiu resident Cristina James, who has been living at UNMISS for three weeks, moved to the new site a few days ago with her three sisters and 11 children (their own and from relatives). There, they constructed their own tukul (thatched hut).

“It took us three days to set up and transfer our family,” she said. “There is more space here and better facilities. The plot that was allocated to us is close to school, water and latrines.

Another resident, Luony Kuk, said security at the new site was “very good”. “There is space to move between the tukuls, so the Nepalese FPUs can patrol freely during the nights. (But) we need more searches to prevent people from brewing alcohol.”

Commenting on the space, she said, “There is enough space to wash clothes and to dry them. There is more space for children.”

Sroana Rusu, Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Field Officer and protection site camp manager, noted the international standard for space was 3.5 square metres per person, but the UNMISS Bentiu ration was currently 5 square metres.

“Local communities advised how numerous … the households (were) and the plots were allocated accordingly,” Ms. Rusu said. “The community representatives (also) brought to DRC attention that in local culture women and men do not sleep in one space and that was taken into consideration.”

Civilians seeking protection began pouring into UNMISS Bentiu on 19 December 2013. Violence had broken out in Juba five days before between pro- and anti-government forces, which rapidly spread to several other states, including Unity.

Four days later, numbers of displaced at the mission had swelled to about 7,000, but current estimations place the figure at 3,000.

As UNMISS is a peacekeeping rather than humanitarian organization, the compound was ill-prepared to host large numbers of people over an extended period of time. Humanitarians with resources and technical knowledge eventually stepped in to manage the site and provide services.

The DRC has been managing it since 15 January, ensuring that services are available and their provision is coordinated.

Ms. Rusu said they had been working to close major service gaps DRC had initially identified in health, nutrition, gender-based violence response and education. “The needs have been largely addressed by now, although the clinics still don’t have surgical capacity, and reproductive and antenatal services are still to be improved.”

The DRC is an international non-governmental organization that has been operating in Unity State since 2012. It has been in charge of setting up and managing Ajuong Thok Refugee Camp in Pariang County, with a capacity of 20,000 people, most of which were relocated from Yida settlement.