4 April 2104 - To decongest an overcrowded protection site that has been home for more than 21,000 people over the past three months, UNMISS is building a new area at its base in Malakal, Upper Nile State.

“We are working very hard on developing a new POC (protection of civilians) site, which will decongest the present POC site and provide people with at least a temporary solution with more space to live,” said UNMISS State Coordinator Deborah Schein.

She said a team of engineers had been deployed to construct the new site. “Moving the IDPs (internally displaced persons) to the new site before the rains set in remains a key priority for the mission and agencies operating in Malakal.”

Ms. Shein called the situation in Malakal “difficult”, as no one could live in the town and many civilians were sheltering at the UNMISS base.

IDP Aliza Arope appealed to the UN and humanitarian’s agencies to relocate all displaced people to the new protection site before the rainy season.

“It will be difficult for us to live in this place (the current site) with our children, so we are appealing to the UN and other agencies to take us to the new location and provide plastic sheets before the rains,” she said.