Juba displaced urge others to move to new UN site

26 Mar 2014

Juba displaced urge others to move to new UN site

26 March 2014 - Displaced people who had recently moved from UNMISS Juba Tomping protection site to the Jebel base urged their friends and relatives today to follow suit for safety concerns.

A 51-year old father of five, David Tut, who had moved, said recent flooding at Tomping had badly affected his family, as they lost property when their carpet was destroyed in a storm.

“Our condition is good so far because there is no flooding,” said a 55-five-year old displaced woman, who declined to give her name. “Tomping was overcrowded, but there is enough space up here now for our children to play.”

Mr. Tut said the new site had adequate water, good drainage, sufficient toilets and enough space for all displaced currently being hosted in Tomping.

“We do not queue up to visit a toilet or a bathroom,” he said. “It has rained thrice since we arrived at the new site (13 March), but it looks as though it has not rained yet.” He urged those who wanted to move to the new protection site to do so quickly before heavy downpours occurred again.

Mr. Tut noted that floods were associated with numerous diseases, including malaria, which the displaced people at Tomping should act swiftly to avoid.

“When it rains here, water flows away easily and quickly, but stagnant water always remained in Tomping camp, being on low-lying land,” said 42-year-old Gathoth Deng, now a resident at the new UN site.

“It was hard for people to sleep without mosquito nets in Tomping,” said Mr. Tut. “But now it is my choice whether to sleep inside or outside my tent, with or without a mosquito net.”

Mr. Deng said he had also been enjoying the absence of gunshots being fired outside the UNMISS compound, as they were used to hearing in Tomping.

But he said a path connecting them to their colleagues at the northern part of the site should be developed so they could access commodities sold there. A grinding mill should also be installed, so there would be no need to go outside the camp, where they were always harassed.