Peacekeepers from Pakistan reinforce flood defences in Bentiu

UPPER NILE – The sounds of excavators and heavy trucks echo across Bentiu long before most residents begin their day. For Pakistani military engineers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), another shift has begun.

Their mission is vital: reinforcing dykes that protect hundreds of thousands of people from rising floodwaters.

For the nearly 300,000 people living in and around Bentiu, this network of dykes and berms surrounding the town protects lives, humanitarian supply routes and key infrastructure from recurring floods.

Although the rainy season is still in early stages, water levels around Bentiu have already reached levels last seen during the devastating floods of 2022.

At the time, many residents lost homes, livelihoods and farmland. Thousands continue to live in one of South Sudan's largest displacement sites, relying on these embankments that separate their communities from the surrounding waters. Today, nearly 5,400 square kilometres of land around Bentiu is already under water. The dry areas depend on mud dykes that require constant monitoring, maintenance and reinforcement. Many communities remain isolated, making the protection of these areas critical for both residents and humanitarian operations.

"The most difficult part is to operate under continuous pressure of the waters rising day by day, while knowing that the safety of communities depends on these dykes," says Captain Hamza Shahbaz Janjua, an Operations Officer, from Pakistan.

For UNMISS engineers, it’s a daily battle.

"The day is complex and demanding," explains Major Syed Shadab Ali Shah, Commanding Officer of the Maintenance Platoon. "We start early in the morning at 5:30 a.m. We conduct inspections before equipment moves out for dyke maintenance, runway support, dewatering operations and other tasks."

Throughout the day, Major Shah’s team works to keep heavy machinery working in difficult conditions.

"The work extends into the night. It is continuous, 24/7. All the vehicles are on a roll," he says.

The men and women from the Pakistan Military Engineering Task Force in Bentiu work in shifts, supporting one another while carrying out a mission that extends beyond engineering tasks.

Among them is Captain Amber Asif, whose team is preparing for the months ahead. Her team closely tracks changing conditions to identify sections of the flood defences that may require reinforcement before water levels rise further.

"My colleagues and I are ready for the rainy season," she says. "We are measuring the water levels daily and monitoring the current height of all the dykes. If we have to increase the height of the dykes as the water level rises, we will plan and do it beforehand."

In Bentiu, even a small breach can have serious consequences for communities living behind the dykes. Maintaining them requires constant vigilance from peacekeepers working alongside local authorities and humanitarian partners.

As the rainy season progresses, this work will continue. For thousands of people living on the remaining dry ground around Bentiu, these dykes remain the first line of defence against the floodwaters that surround them.

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Robin Giri