UPPER NILE - The residents of Ulang County and Doro Refugee camp in Maban have been plagued by persistent intercommunal conflict and flooding which has devastated this part of the Upper Nile region of South Sudan.

As part of its strategy to protect civilians and engage with communities, peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan visited the two areas to assess the security situation and understand the concerns of villagers.

The main concern among all those the team met was the dire living conditions.

“Since last year, some villages and farms have been submerged by water, most of the population were displaced from their homes and are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including food, shelter and medical supplies,” said Ulang County Relief and Rehabilitation coordinator, Brigade Kher Thon.

Fifty-year old Mary Kong explained the problems encountered by local families and urged the peacekeepers to share their concerns to relevant stakeholders.

“We face so many challenges, including a lack of food and clean drinking water. We have to fetch water directly from the river, which sometimes causes illness among our children. There are also inadequate medical facilities,” she said.

“We beg you to raise these issues with the State authorities and humanitarian organizations so that they can support us with life-saving assistance.”

UNMISS female engagement team commander, Lieutenant Anisa Mukashema, from Rwanda, stressed the mission’s commitment to working closely with all partners to improve security.

“We engage with women in the community so that they share their experiences and challenges,” she said.

“We cannot always solve the many issues they face, but we amplify their voices and advocate for their rights and safety as well as engaging in a broader effort to foster inclusive and lasting peace.”