A shared love of sports is fostering friendship and trust between peacekeepers and people who have fled violence and sought sanctuary in a camp next to the United Nations base at Melut, in the remote north of South Sudan.

Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) organized a volleyball competition at their base to create a sense of camaraderie with those who have been internally displaced because of ongoing violence in the country.

Members of the community said they appreciated the initiative to strengthen the relationship with those living in the camp while the troops said that spending time together enjoying sports activities built a sense of trust and cooperation which helped with management of the Protection of Civilians site.