7 January 2015 - Aiming to help internally displaced people (IDPs) cope with stress, UNICEF today began a two-day training in psychological first aid at the UNMISS protection site in Bentiu, Unity State.

Targeting 35 IDP volunteers selected to work with the non-governmental organization Nonviolent Peace Force, the training aims to enhance their skills in responding to disaster- affected populations.

“The training will equip the volunteers with skills to be able to provide psychological aid that would help incoming IDPs in the release of some stress they encounter and cope with the situation within the (protection sites),” said UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Sylvester Morue.

Mr. Morue noted that humanitarian agencies were working together to provide protection to IDPs so that their rights, dignity and integrity were respected.

"We are linking them to services that are provided in the dignified manner so that they will not be abused or exploited in the process when they try to access those services,” he said.

Marko Gatkouth Mawol, a trainee, said the training would give them knowledge about treating conflict-affected children with dignity and understanding their needs.

“The current conflict has affected people physically and mentally,” he said, adding that elderly people were also affected.

Observing that many parents were using children to do business rather than sending them to school, Mr. Mawol called for more learning institutions to be built for IDPs.

“If the children are going to school, I think even the problem within the community will reduce because the teachers will help counsel the children,” he said.

He also noted that children who were studying would concentrate more on learning than thinking about what happened during the conflict.

Another trainee, Wilson Mariek Aduer, said many children saw dead bodies for the first time when conflict broke out in Bentiu.

“You find these conflict-affected children are modeling guns and anti-tanks using clay,” he said. “This shows that they are really affected by the conflict.”

He said parents should also be educated on the importance of psychological aid to the conflict-affected population.

“Some parents prevent their girls from attending Child Friendly Space, a programme designed to bring all children together to play different games so that they forget (or stop) thinking only about the conflict that uprooted them from their homes,” he said.

Mr. Aduer urged the displaced people’s community to refrain from politics in the protection sites.

“This conflict is only for the soldiers,” he said. “Civilians must not involve themselves. It is the armies, not civilians, who are causing trouble in this country.”