“Let us not fool ourselves: we (the UN) can only marginally improve your living conditions. Only with peace and reconciliation can there be significant improvement of the situation you are in”. Thus spoke El Ghassim Wane, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations when he met community leaders in the Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites 1 and 3 in Juba on Saturday (1 October).

Mr. Wane leads a strategic UN assessment mission to South Sudan, tasked with making recommendations as to how the Mission can be adapt to the situation on the ground and to increase the efficiency of the implementation of its mandate. The objectives of the visit are to develop a shared understanding of living conditions and challenges, to identify core priorities to achieve peace and to come up with alternative ways for the UN to engage with the host country.

The delegation was welcomed by various representatives of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) taking shelter in PoC sites 1 and 3 at UN House in Juba. They expressed various concerns, including insufficient food rations.

“Many of our children don’t go to school because they are not receiving food there. They are hungry. If they would be given food they would study”, said a representative of women IDPs in PoC 1.

Women in both PoC sites cited the lack of firewood, charcoal or other means to cook their food as a challenge that increases the risk of them being sexually assaulted when they leave the sites to look for these items.

“We receive food, but nothing we can use to cook it with. Maybe some NGO could assist in providing us with charcoal”, the women representative asked, adding that re-opening a pedestrian PoC exit, just for women, adjacent to the UN House main gate could also reduce the dangers involved in venturing outside.

A third problem mentioned by several IDP representatives is the perceived impunity of wrongdoers within the PoC sites.

“We hand them over to UN Police officers and their holding facilities, but most of the time the same individuals are back already the next day, creating more trouble”, one IDP community leader complained.

Consensus prevailed among the PoC community representatives with regards to the general security situation: the current perception is one of increased insecurity and uncertainty. A certain “visiting delegation fatigue” and frustration was not only clearly visible but also verbalized by several IDPs present.

“How many times do we need to tell you about our situation, our concerns and our suggestions? I would have imagined that all of you would know everything there is to know by now”, a youth representative exclaimed.

Mr. Wane assured the IDPs he met that he and all of his colleagues “are as frustrated as you are” about the slow going in achieving progress in terms of security and living conditions.

“I totally understand your frustration, which we all share. The fact that we are here today is in itself a gesture of our deep concern. We are doing our level best, under very, very difficult circumstances, but let’s not fool ourselves: only with peace can there be significant improvements.”

The visiting ASG left one of two PoC meetings with a message on a common responsibility to move forward.

“Each and every one of us has the duty and obligation to promote peace and demonstrate forgiveness”, he said.

Mr. Wane’s strategic assessment mission has also visited Wau, Bentiu and Malakal and will leave the country on Wednesday 5 October.