9 January 2014 - The 5,500-strong surge in UN peacekeepers and equipment for South Sudan could take up to eight weeks to be fully deployed on the ground, the top peacekeeping official said in New York today.

“But our goal is to go as quickly as possible and we are grateful to those countries who are helping us to do the transportation because that’s no small feat,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous said after briefing the Security Council on the world’s newest country.

Since the conflict began in the capital Juba between government and opposition forces nearly a month ago, well over 1,000 people have been killed and some 300,000 others driven from their homes.

The time-frame is longer than Mr. Ladsous outlined on 30 December, when he said it was hoped all reinforcements for UNMMISS that the Council authorized to protect civilians – almost doubling the force to nearly 14,000, including utility and tactical helicopters – would be on the ground within three weeks.

But he stressed today that “we are making very substantial progress,” and a significant number of formed police units, some of which were already deployed and operational, might be on the ground in coming days.

This will allow UNMISS peacekeepers to take on “more proactive patrolling around the bases and beyond because, of course, the situation in terms of violation of human rights remains terribly critical,” he added.

Mr. Ladsous said the death toll would be substantially more than the 1,000 known for sure and that there were probably 250,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). At least 42,800 others are estimated to have fled to neighbouring countries.

“The priorities now for the UN are very clear in this situation -- to focus on the protection of civilians, on human rights and on helping our humanitarian colleagues to access those populations,” he stressed. “These are the three items on which UNMISS is really concentrating all its efforts right now.”

During the more than three-hour briefing, the Council also heard from Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNMISS Hilde Johnson, who briefed the 15-member body from Juba.

Asked about denial of access for UN peacekeepers, specifically flying into Bor in Jonglei State, site of some of the fiercest fighting and displacement of civilians, Mr. Ladsous said, “This is being corrected and this has been taken up rather forcefully with the government.”

Asked why UNMISS forces have so far remained on their bases when fighting and human rights abuses had been reported, he said they currently had limited equipment and vehicles.

“This is why we are concentrating in the first place on the protection of UN bases and camps. But as the strength augments, as the equipment augments, then it will be possible to put them into full blown duties.”