UNITY STATE – As the inky black night blankets the large camp for displaced families in Bentiu, the only respite from the deep darkness is a string of lights shimmering in the distance and raucous chorus of frogs, bearing in from all sides of the floodwaters that surround the site.
More than 100,000 people are huddled in their tiny homes, in absolute darkness, broken only by the random blob of light from a mobile phone or an enterprising solar lamp.
A sense of uncertainty permeates the air as residents brace themselves for the long night, hoping their biggest fear of robbers and vagrants who take advantage of the darkness is not realized.
Suddenly, the wide path around the camp is lit up by the steady beam of headlights from UN vehicles carrying armed peacekeepers from Ghana serving with United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
They drive slowly and make frequent stops, with the roar of their vehicles heard even before they arrive on the scene. Their sheer presence is a deterrent against criminal activity, and a reassurance for the residents that they are protected.
“When I joined the army to serve my country, I never realized that I would end up providing security for civilians in another country,” says Lance Corporal Amenuvor Mabel of the Ghana Battalion, leading the night convoy.
“It makes me feel good that we are serving people and making them feel safe.”
Her team will stay in the camp all night, only returning to base at dawn. During their shift, they will meet another patrol from UNMISS and respond to sections of the camp that have reported trouble.
The Bentiu camp hosts more than 100,000 people at any given time. Most arrived in 2013 to escape the outbreak of civil war, and due to persistent insecurity, they stayed. As flooding in Unity State worsened over the years, decimating many villages, many had nowhere to return.
As the climate shocks continue, rising floodwaters make it near impossible to have any semblance of a life, without agriculture, livestock or trade in the absence of lasting peace. They are stuck here.
“The patrols are a crucial part of our mandate to protect civilians. They provide security and hope for the displaced communities,” says Sam Korutaro Muhumure, UNMISS Head of Field Office in Bentiu.
The patrols are just one part of a multipronged protection approach by UNMISS. Another is the massive engineering work required to keep roads open and strengthen the dykes physically protecting the town from the vast 4,500 km2 of stagnant floodwater.
Meanwhile, Mabel and the other blue helmets have moved to another section of the camp, abutting the humanitarian warehouses.
Under the bright lamps illuminating the compound exterior sits a large group of children siting on stools and mats on the mud floor, studying. It’s heartbreaking but also inspiring to see these children who have so little striving so hard to earn an education.
Mabel and her team stop to speak to the children. It’s not much, but every little bit of encouragement and reassurance helps.
“Although I belong to Ghana, I’m wearing the blue helmet and my priority is to protect the people here, listen to them, build trust and confidence, and support their hopes for peace.”
By Robin Giri
