UNITY - For the nearly 300,000 people who call the vast floodplains of Bentiu home, the difference between safety and displacement is no more than an earthen dyke.
In recent years, climate shocks across South Sudan have turned seasonal flooding into a clear and present danger to lives and properties. Entire communities have lost their homes to water; in Bentiu they live in the largest camp for internally displaced persons. Their protection: mud dykes continually shored and strengthened by engineering teams from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
A key factor in protecting these civilians from the overflow of the Nile waters is the partnership between peacekeepers from Pakistan and Mongolia.
Every week, the boat patrols led by the Mongolian battalion cut through murky waters. Onboard are technicians from Pakistan, measuring water levels and scanning surrounding dykes for subtle changes - water creeping above embankments, soil conditions, or the first signs of a breach waiting to happen. These patrols are not a routine feature but form a core frontline prevention effort by the UN Peacekeeping mission to ensure the people of Bentiu town and displaced communities are safe, secure. And they are a necessary complement to the hands-on engineering tasks.
“Ensuring the safety and security of civilians and enabling humanitarian partners to do their work is one of our key mandated tasks. Equally important is our coordination with our Pakistani engineering colleagues to ensure that the dykes are fortified, the main supply route open and functional, and that Bentiu residents are safe,” says Colonel Bat-Erdene Norov, the commander of Mongolian troops.
His words are echoed by Lieutenant-Colonel Usman, the commander of the Pakistan engineering contingent.
“Proactive boat patrols strengthen early warning, supports timely interventions, and helps protect local communities and infrastructure,” explains.
His team leads the work of constructing and reinforcing the sprawling network of dykes and berms that encircle the IDP camp and UN base, the main supply route, and the airstrip to enable consistent delivery of humanitarian aid to those who need it the most. It’s not an easy job, reveals the Lieutenant-Colonel. “Managing floods here demands coordination, shared responsibility, and continuous vigilance.”
The numbers alone hint at the scale of this life-saving operation. Kilometres of earthworks must be constantly monitored, repaired, and elevated. A single leak will allow water to surge through, undoing months of labour in hours.
Men, women and children walk along the dykes, watching as the patrolling boats pass; they know these are the people in blue helmets who keep them and their families safe. They’re aware that without these protections, delivery of humanitarian aid would be disrupted, and already vulnerable populations would face even greater hardship.
In Bentiu, crises are a constant. However, these joint efforts are proof that stability is forged through cooperation, vigilance, and a commitment to safeguard those most at risk.
--By Robin Giri
