Local communities in Western Equatoria State’s conflict-prone Tambura County recently celebrated the handover of the newly constructed Yubu bridge funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to local authority. Its strategic location means that it is hoped to promote and facilitate the voluntary return and reintegration of both internally displaced persons and refugees.

This new piece of vital infrastructure is expected to connect people, strengthen social cohesion, and improve access to health services, schools, and markets. It is also hoped to make the task of protecting civilians less difficult.

“For many years the lack of a proper bridge has been killing us. If someone died at the hospital, there was to get the body to the burial site, and if someone became sick, it was difficult to transport the person to the hospital,” said BBC Albert, a citizen of Tambura, hinting at the nifty multidirectional feature of the structure.

With the project set to benefit both the living and the dead, Benina Mbiko, a mother of five, believes that the bridge will increase trade and hence boost the economy as well.

“For us in the village it is always difficult to come to town during the rainy season because when the water level is high, we can’t cross to the river. This bridge is very good, thanks to those who came to build it for us,” she said.

For many, new infrastructure benefitting whole communities is a sign of development taking place.

“This bridge is going to help farmers transporting their goods to the market, facilitate the movement of sick people from the villages to town, and improve the security of our communities, said Mboribamo Renzi, Paramount chief of Tambura.

Anthony Moudie, an UNMISS Protection, Transition and Reintegration Officer, stressed the latter impact of the project. positive impact the completed project could have on peacebuilding, social harmony and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons.

“It will make protecting civilians less difficult and the access of humanitarians and anyone else a lot easier. Everyone benefits from that,” he said.

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan will continue to fund a select number of small-scale projects deemed to have the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of the local communities where they are implemented.