6 August 2015 - More than 6,000 civilians have fled their homes in areas around Wau Chollo (Shilluk) district to the UNMISS protection site in the Upper Nile State capital Malakal in recent days.

According to the newly arrived internally displaced people (IDPs), they were forced to move to seek refuge at the mission’s base due to lack of food supplies, medical care, and other necessities in their home areas.

“Things are not easy in Wau Chollo and the surrounding areas,” said Terza Chol, one of the newly arrived IDPs. “The humanitarian aid that most of us rely on has ceased. There is no food and no medical services and we had no choice but to leave our homes and save ourselves.”

The IDPs called upon humanitarian partners to come to their rescue and end their suffering.

“Our people are suffering. The (distance they have travelled) is long and tiring and when they arrive here, there is no place to sleep or even food and water,” said another IDP, Koul Aban. “We urge the humanitarians to have mercy on these people and assist them.”

UNMISS Acting State Coordinator Isiaka Adesola Abolurin said the mission and humanitarian partners are working together to provide humanitarian assistance to the new arrivals.

He noted that this is a challenge because partners are experiencing a shortage of supplies, following restrictions on movement of barges and access to Malakal airport.

“Humanitarian partners have not been receiving any supplies from Juba for some time now,” he said. “Supplies in stock are going down (and) now we have additional numbers of IDPs, this is the major challenge we are facing.”

Mr. Abolurin however said humanitarian partners will work the little supplies they have to assist the new arrivals and UNMISS would also allocate a suitable space for them in the protection-of-civilians’ (PoC) site.

“UNMISS’s role or mandate is protection of civilians,” he said. “We (will) provide physical protection to ensure that there is security for all within the PoC site and outside the perimeter. We (will) also provide space for humanitarian to put up tents.”

Humanitarian partners will provide other assistance like food and water, while UNMISS personnel will ensure law and order during distribution of these items, Mr. Abolurin added.