Head of UNMISS witnesses first-hand the threats to community safety in Unity State

UNITY - On 1 March 2026, communities in the remote Abiemnhom region of South Sudan were abruptly woken by the sound of heavy gunfire as their town came under attack.

Thousands fled to the United Nations base, seeking refuge with Mongolian peacekeepers who immediately opened the gates of their temporary base, providing protection and medical treatment to dozens of injured.

Today, many families are still struggling to rebuild after having their homes and crops burnt and looted. They also continue to live in fear of further violence.

In response, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan deferred plans to close the base despite financial pressures and is continuing to do its utmost to deter conflict through robust patrolling, engagement with community leaders, and support for reconciliation and peace processes.

“In Abiemnhom, the communities were concerned that we would leave and they would be vulnerable without us,” explained the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, Anita Kiki Gbeho, during a visit to the area.

“I assured them that we have a mandate to protect civilians, so we will stay with them and support efforts to find solutions to the communal violence.”

Unity State is facing a broader protection threat as the rainy season is predicted to intensify in the coming months, with the risk that catastrophic flooding will further exacerbate the already dire security and humanitarian situation.

“There are multiple issues creating concern, including insecurity. But this is also supposed to be an a super El Nino year, which creates new risks for South Sudan of both flooding and drought,” she said.

The threat is heightened in Unity because it is already inundated by extraordinary floods that first hit in 2019, leaving Bentiu town surrounded by thousands of kilometers of floodwaters.

These waters have continued to rise year-on-year during seasonal rains. A fresh surge would increase pressure on the vast network of dykes built and maintained by UNMISS engineering peacekeepers and humanitarian partners, protecting hundreds of thousands of displaced families and the host community.

“The biggest challenge is to deal with the flooding because communities are vulnerable,” explains Nyier Gatchang Pouch, Community High Committee Chairperson in the Bentiu displacement camp. “We cannot access or provide a mechanism to block the flooding unless there is intervention from UNMISS or the Government.”

Communities want the Government to take the lead in strengthening and repairing the dykes, improving drainage, and preparing evacuation routes, which will be critical to protecting lives and livelihoods before the floods peak.

“Communities have no possibility by themselves to do anything. We have no capacity to construct dykes. We have no capacity to do anything because the water is beyond the level,” states Nyier Gatchang Pouch.

Despite mounting challenges, UNMISS’ commitment is unwavering as peacekeepers continue to work alongside those they serve to prepare for emerging threats, strengthen community safety, and promote peace.

For the Head of UNMISS, the solutions to all the challenges are grounded in a simple truth.

“When we talk about overcoming the multitude of concerns, my answer is that the foundation for this lies in peace.”

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By Francesca Mold