7 February 2014 - A group of women living under the protection of UNMISS Bentiu in Unity State have been meeting with top government and UN officials as well as travelling to Addis Ababa in their urgent appeal for peace in South Sudan.

“We suffered for 21 years and we have eaten the sweet fruits of peace since 2005,” said Semira Deng Chang Kon, one of two women from the mission site to travel to Addis Ababa on 3 February for a meeting of the Taskforce on the Engagement of Women.

“My message to all women,” Ms. Kon said. “If you are in the bush, or at home or anywhere else, please talk about the peace,” she said.” “If you have visitors at your home, whoever they are, if they are carrying guns, ask them to leave them outside and talk with them about peace.”

She said South Sudanese had been fighting for independence during the previous war in a just cause. But she disparaged the current conflict, which broke out in December 2013 in Juba between pro- and anti-government forces.

“But if a cause makes us sleep under trees, we don’t care about it … whether it’s right or not,” Ms. Kon said. “We don’t want our women to give birth under a tree, we don’t want our children to die under a tree and we don’t want our elders to sit under trees because there is no water.”

The second Addis Abbaba delegate, Wedad Yunise Ibrahim Mahamed, noted that 10 Sudanese and 34 South Sudanese women had attended the Addis meeting.

“The women from both countries are calling for peace,” she said. “We traveled so far from here in a hope the leaders will listen to us and stop fighting.”

“Sisters, it is us women who are suffering,” Ms. Mahamed said, addressing all women. “We are the ones who give birth, the ones who suffer for our children and the ones who burry them. All those who die in the bush are our children, our sisters, our brothers and husbands.”

Organized by The Institute for Inclusive Security in partnership with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Nonviolent Peaceforce, the Taskforce on the Engagement of Women took place from 25 to 30 January. Its primary focus was to ensure women’s engagement in peace processes in South Sudan and Sudan.

Men in the camp support the women’s peace initiative, including Simon Diu, one of the leaders at the Bentiu protection site.

“We are encouraging all the women to have a one voice regardless of the ethnicity,” he said. “No tribe can rule the country alone. If all the tribes are united thanks to initiative of women we can have a united nation and development can come.”

On 21 January, women’s representatives from different ethnic groups staying at UNMMISS Bentiu walked 12 kilometres to meet Caretaker Governor of Unity State John Koang Nyuom and hand him a letter from Unity State women.

They met with UNMISS Deputy Special Representative of Secretary-General Raisedon Zenenga on 24 January, who supported their peace building initiative during his meeting with the Deputy Governor of Unity State.

The women are continuing their meetings and advocacy. They plan to formalize their group and meet the Governor again.

8 January 2014 - Two top UNMISS officials are meeting today with families displaced by ongoing violence between pro- and anti-government forces in South Sudan’s Upper Nile and Unity states.

In the Upper Nile capital Malakal, Special Representative of the Secretary-General Hilde F. Johnson visited the internally displaced persons camp on the UNMISS base, which is currently hosting more than 12,000 people.

She also visited the UNMISS clinic, where civilians injured during the clashes are being treated.

The SRSG was accompanied by UN Police Commissioner Fred Yiga, UNMISS Deputy Force Commander Brig. Gen. Asit Mistry and other senior mission officials.

“I appreciate your courage, commitment and dedication for being here and sustaining those days,” Ms. Johnson said to UNMISS personnel who had assisted civilians during the violence.

Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer, was in Bentiu, Unity State, to assess the humanitarian situation there and UN response.

There are reports of large movements of civilians in the area, a UN spokesperson said. That movement is raising fears of further fighting in the area, according to media reports.

In the capital, Juba, where the situation continues to be tense, additional UN peacekeepers are patrolling the city.

They are also protecting nearly 30,000 civilians at the two UN bases in the city. An additional 32,000 people are seeking refuge at UN compounds in other parts of the country.

Food, healthcare, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene remain the top priorities for humanitarian response for those displaced. Aid agencies have also begun contingency planning for any potential additional displacement in coming weeks, and for the rainy season, due to start in May.

An estimated 201,000 people have been internally displaced by the current crisis since 15 December, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The situation at the UNMISS base in Bor, Jonglei State, where over 9,000 civilians are being protected, is becoming increasingly strained.

The mission confirmed today that it was finally able to send three flights to deliver food, as well as medically evacuate 54 civilians back to Juba. UN flights had been unable to reach the area for the past few days.

“Humanitarian access continues to be constrained by active hostilities, attacks on aid workers and assets, interference with humanitarian activities and other obstacles,” the spokesperson said, quoting OCHA.

To be able to respond to the significant challenges posed by the crisis in South Sudan, the United Nations is reinforcing its peacekeeping Mission and scaling up its humanitarian response. For the UN to help protect civilians and assist people in need, unimpeded access is essential.

The United Nations calls on all parties to facilitate the operations of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and humanitarian actors. This entails respecting the inviolability of UN facilities, installations and assets, and respecting humanitarian activities, staff and property at all times. Non-state actors are also legally accountable for facilitating and respecting the operations of the UN, national and international staff, as well as assets.

In the past two weeks, UNMISS, UN humanitarian agencies and Non Governmental Organizations have experienced unacceptable acts that disrupt their operations and expose their personnel to serious security risks. Some 20 vehicles owned by UN and humanitarian agencies have been commandeered or confiscated by anti-government forces in Bor and Bentiu. Several storage facilities and warehouses have been looted; offices and accommodation compounds have been occupied and subsequently ransacked. One UNMISS helicopter has been shot at.

“This is unacceptable. I call on the leader of the anti-government forces, Riek Machar Teny, to instruct the forces under his command to stop this practice, to make sure that looted assets and goods, including vehicles, are immediately returned, and to respect the operations of the UN and our humanitarian partners,” said Ms. Hilde F. Johnson, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of the Mission in South Sudan.

At the same time, UNMISS’ flights transporting critical supplies for peacekeepers, medical facilities and Internally Displaced Persons have been delayed and hampered by some authorities of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan. Some members of the security forces have also stopped UNMISS patrols. These are clear violations of the agreement that regulates the UN’s presence in South Sudan, and is preventing UNMISS from implementing its mandate.

“We call on the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to facilitate the work of UNMISS at this critical time, and fully respect the mutually agreed legal framework for the UN’s work in the country. This is of utmost importance for the operations of the Mission,” underlined SRSG Hilde F. Johnson.

For further information or media enquiries,
Spokesperson: Ariane Quentier - quentier@un.org +211 912 177 770

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) notes media reports (New York Times, 9 January) estimating that up to 10,000 people may have been killed since the conflict in South Sudan started on 15 December 2013. On 26 December, ten days into the conflict, UNMISS estimated that 1,000 people may have been killed as a result of the conflict. This was based on UNMISS’ initial monitoring and investigations in Juba and other relatively more stable locations where its Human Rights Officers and other staff were able to access, investigate and document the unfolding developments.

After two weeks of subsequent violence, characterized by sometimes intense fighting with heavy weapons, there are clear indications that the casualty count must be much higher. While UNMISS has continued to closely monitor the human rights situation, interviewing witnesses, and following leads, the Mission is not at this stage in a position to establish and verify the exact numbers of casualties. As Hervé Ladsous, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations observed on 9 January, at this juncture “We are not able to provide final figures. We know it will be very substantially in excess of the 1,000 figure”.

Despite serious security constraints due to the fighting in Bor and Bentiu which has restricted access by UNMISS Human Rights Officers, during the course of last week UNMISS started interviewing victims and eyewitnesses among displaced people from Bor who have arrived in Juba and Awerial County in neighbouring Lakes State. UNMISS Human Rights Officers have also been able to return to Bor on 9 January. Preliminary indications from these interviews and investigations in Bentiu and Malakal contain horrific allegations of atrocities by anti-government forces against civilians and surrendering soldiers, including summary executions, torture, sexual violence and ethnically targeted killing. UNMISS deplores these horrendous acts of violence and utter disregard for human life and dignity.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Ms. Hilde F. Johnson calls on all parties to cease hostilities immediately, and respect and protect civilians. She reiterates the Secretary-General's reminder that those who commit such heinous acts will be held accountable.

UNMISS will continue to investigate and document the atrocities committed by both sides, in all affected areas. The Mission calls on the Government and the anti-government forces to cooperate with these important investigations and to facilitate unhindered access by the Mission’s Human Rights Officers to all affected areas.

12 January 2014 - There was nothing for South Sudanese people to celebrate on 9 January this year, a South Sudanese refugee now living at a camp in Uganda’s Arua District said recently.

“Maybe people are celebrating in other states,” said Thomas Kueith, who hails from Jonglei State and is now living with his family of eleven under the open skies in Arua’s Rhino Camp. “We fled from conflict in (the Jonglei capital) Bor. What is there to celebrate about the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)?”

South Sudanese people have commemorated 9 January every year since 2005, when the CPA was signed in Naivasha, Kenya, between the Sudanese Government and the then rebel movement of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), marking the end of a two- decade war.

The landmark date took on more meaning in 2011 as millions of South Sudanese queued up to vote with shouts of jubilation for separation from Sudan in a referendum that resulted in independence of the world’s youngest nation.

In Rhino Camp, three years later, there was a different sombre mood, as South Sudanese from a range of tribes queued up to register as refugees after fleeing from violence that broke out in several parts of their country on 15 December 2013.

“We did not even celebrate Christmas, but we prayed,” said Mr. Kueith, a first-time refugee. “I prayed that my family would be safe and on 26 December, we started our journey to Uganda. It’s not easy, but we are safe here.”

Mr. Kueith and his family form part of over 6,000 refugees currently living in camps in Arua and Koboko in Uganda. Another estimated 20,000 refugees are in camps in Adjumani district.

Many of them, unlike Mr. Kueith, were returning to camps they had thought would never be home again, after independence.

“Uganda has been hosting South Sudanese refugees for a long time,” said Mr. John Alinaitwe, Senior Settlement Officer with Uganda’s Department of Refugees in the district. “At one time, we had four settlements, but after the CPA and independence, many of them returned to their homes and we closed three camps.”

The department, working closely with UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), began receiving refugees from Jonglei State from March to July in 2013 following conflict with rebels reportedly associated with David Yau Yau.

“Those were only about 2,000 here and 2,000 in Adjumani,” said Salome Ayikoru, UNHCR Desk Officer for Arua. “Now we have had an average of 2,500 refugees arriving daily, although the number arriving seems to be coming down.”

Despite fewer arrivals, the numbers are already so large that the government is planning to open another closed camp.

“We have always supported the South Sudanese people and we have to be prepared to receive them even now,” said Mr. Alinaitwe. “There are many challenges, but our borders will remain open to all those seeking safety.”

13 January 2014 - As hundreds of civilians continued to seek refuge UNMISS bases in Juba, the mission and humanitarian partners were preparing to move some internally displaced people (IDPs) to a new protection site, an International Organization for Migration official said today in Juba. “A new site east of the UN House base is earmarked for those to be brought from Tomping and new arrivals,” said Laura Jones, who is responsible for distribution and transportation of essential supplies to newcomers.

Ms. Jones noted that the move to the new site at UN House on Yei Road would be for “surplus” IDPs and newly arrived civilians as space at another base adjacent to the airport became inadequate to accommodate the thousands of IDPs currently seeking shelter there.

Juba residents said the massive movement of civilians was generated by daily rumours that anti-government forces were near the national capital and getting ready to attack, which in turn caused panic among the local population.

Meanwhile, IDPs in the UNMISS bases were getting more involved in efforts by humanitarian partners to provide them with basic needs by loading and off-loading relief supplies on trucks.

“The bags we are just packing are for new arrivals and each bag contains an assortment of relief assistance,” said Gibson Gusser, a Mercy Corps official. “Each bag contains … (a) plastic sheet for a tent, a kitchen kit, a mosquito net, blanket, mat, water can, two buckets, a piece of “kanga” cloth and six pieces of washing soap.”

13 January 2014 - When Rebecca Gak heard shooting on 18 December, she ran from her small restaurant in the Jonglei State capital Bor, picked up her infant son and two daughters and fled.

Her husband would follow later, she hoped.

Somewhere in the bushes, Ms. Gak realized that her five and eight-year old daughters were no longer running with her. She’d lost them. Knowing it was pointless to turn back and not knowing where to find them, she continued with the child she had.

She tried to call her husband, but his phone was off – and has been ever since. In a matter of minutes, her family of five had been reduced to two. After days of traveling, Ms. Gak arrived in Arua district in Uganda and was taken to the Rhino Camp.

“I cannot believe I am in a camp again,” said Ms. Gak, who was a refugee in Kenya in 1991 before returning back to South Sudan after independence. “It is difficult to sleep at night. How can I, when I don’t know where my children and husband are?”

Ms. Gak is one of several women in the camp who have no idea where their husbands are. Some were soldiers and involved in the fighting, but with no contact, it was unclear if the men were dead or alive.

A distinct feature in the camp is the absence of adult men. It is composed mainly of older people, women, younger men and children.

While many of the other women were lucky enough to arrive with all their children, there are still many unaccompanied children in the camp, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) officials said.

UNHCR Officer Salome Ayikoru noted that people in the camp had divided themselves into smaller groups. “I think it is a natural thing that people will live with people from similar groups, but that’s what we have here.”

According to Ms. Gak, who was seated with other women from her Dinka tribe, it was something that just happened and not in any way a reflection of theories that the conflict was ethnic.

“When we need help, it is easier to turn to one of your own,” she said. There is no fighting in the camp – the only time we fight is for food and water.”

As a restaurant owner, accustomed to having more than adequate food for her family, fighting for food made her cry, she said. Every meal was a reminder of the life and children she had lost.

The government of Uganda, overwhelmed by the numbers of refugees, has been assisting the refugees with the support of partners.

“In Arua, we have 6,147 refugees, which is far lower than the number in Adjumani,’ said John Aliniatwe, a government senior settlement officer. “Humanitarian agencies will tell you that they can only start to provide assistance when they get to a certain threshold. We haven’t reached the numbers they need to justify the aid, but that does not take away the challenges refugees are facing.”

Mary Achol, a 25-year old woman who gave birth on her way from Jonglei to Uganda, said the lack of food and water was affecting her ability to breastfeed her newborn.

“I have had no (post-natal) drugs since I gave birth,” she said. “I am afraid of what diseases we will pick up here.”

According to Mr. Alinaitwe, the Ugandan government was continuing to appeal to aid organizations to assist refugees and there had been positive responses.

Asked what the refugees’ appeal to the South Sudanese government and rival factions was, Ms. Gak shook her head and said she had none.

“Even if it became peaceful now, I wouldn’t have peace of mind not knowing where my children are,” she said. “All those fighting need to understand that as mothers, that’s what’s important to us. We just want to be with our children and give them food without fighting. That is all that concerns us.”

13 January 2014 - More than 400 displaced children in two UN bases in Juba today joined thousands of Central Equatoria State candidates in writing their Primary School Leaving Examinations.

The examinations, scheduled for 16 December, were postponed due to violence that engulfed Juba and other parts of the country last year.

Central Equatorial State Minister of Education Hastin Anisio said he was pleased the children had an opportunity to write the exams.

UNICEF is supporting conduct of the exams at two UN base -- Tomping and UN House. The agency’s head of education, Simon Mphis, said they (UNICEF) were pleased to have supported the “successful” conduct of exams.

Balong Miet, 18, who is seeking refuge at UNMISS’ Tomping camp, said the conflict had affected her preparations for examinations.

“The exam is not really difficult, but the fighting and displacement have made it very hard for us,” she said after the first day’s test today. Ms. Balong called on warring sides to stop the fighting, which has killed thousands of people in a month.

Another displaced candidate, Gatluak Tuong Gatluak, said his present state of mind made the examination difficult for him. “It (the examination) is hard, especially for those of us who lost our relatives to the fighting in Juba.”

“We don’t even have a good place to read and sleep,” Mr. Gatluak added.

Officials say the exams will continue throughout the week.

14 January 2014 - The situation in Aweil North County was peaceful and security organs must work to maintain it, Northern Bahr El-Ghazal State Acting Governor Lino Adup Achier said today in Gok Machar.

During a visit there with senior officials, including UNMISS State Coordinator Seth Kumi, the governor briefed local authorities, organized forces and traditional leaders on the political and security situations in the county.

“Here in Gok Machar the security situation is calm,” Governor Achier said. “This is what we want. We want to tell the people of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state that there (is nothing to) fear.”

“People should not (listen to) phones or rumors,” the governor added. “I call upon the security agents to cooperate so that they maintain security in the state.”

Mr. Kumi stressed that the mission would remain in the state with the same mandate. He noted that a few people had sought refuge in the UN compound at the beginning of the crisis but all had since returned to their homes.

“We will continue with our operations as usual,” Mr. Kumi said. “We have not reduced our staff, we are continuing with our programmes as we did before the crisis.”

Aweil North County Commissioner Kuol Athuai Hal confirmed the presence of Rezaigat nomads in the county. He said the two communities would begin the migration conference on 20 January.

15 January 2014 – As civilians continue to face peril in South Sudan, the first group of 25 Nepalese military reinforcements arrived today in Juba from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The team of one officer and 24 soldiers is an advance party of the 350-member Nepalese UN reinforcement battalion from MINUSTAH, which is expected to be in South Sudan by the end of the month. Another 500 troops coming directly from the Nepal capital Kathmandu are also expected to join the team.

“Your deployment … emphasizes the commitment of the UN to protect civilians and maintain the mission’s integrity and ability to complete mandated tasks,” said UNMISS Force Commander Johnson Delali Sakyi, while welcoming the troops. “I will therefore charge you all to carry out your mission with professionalism, dedication and commitment.”

The team’s arrival follows a Security Council decision on 24 December 2013 to increase the mission’s component by an additional 5,500 troops for a total force of 12,500 troops. The resolution supported a recommendation by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to temporarily increase UNMISS’ overall force to assist the mission in protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance.

Maj. Gen. Sakyi emphasized that protection of civilians was a priority mandated UNMISS task, and one upon the mission’s credibility was judged.

“As you deploy in your area of responsibility, read and understand all operational orders well … and let your operational actions be conducted in a manner that is consistent with military ethics and UN Rules of Engagement,” he said. “Remember to be impartial… be seen to be doing the right things always and every time.”

The Force Commander urged the peacekeeping troops to be professional “as the eyes of the world and of the whole UN System are fixed on UNMISS, of which you have become a part”.

Discussions are underway for additional troops from countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, India, Tanzania and Bangladesh to also join the UNMISS force up to the numbers recommended by the Council.

On 9 January, UN peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous said the 5,500-strong surge in UN peacekeepers and equipment for South Sudan could take up to eight weeks to be fully deployed on the ground.

15 January 2014 - A group of South Sudanese women said today they wanted to be included in ongoing peace negotiations in Addis Ababa to resolve conflict in their country.

Under the umbrella “The South Sudan Women Leaders for Peace Initiatives Forum”, they called on the government and regional powers responsible for the dialogue to include women in trying to find peaceful resolutions to the crisis.

A women’s representative, Agnes Kwaje Losuba, told UN Radio Miraya that women’s contribution should not be overlooked.

“We … appeal that the government … as well as regional powers utilize the peace building potential of women in South Sudan, simply because women have skills and women have experience that cust across ethnic divides,” Ms. Losuba said.

“We don’t have tribes, we are women. That is what signifies (what) women … are – tribeless,” she said. “We are sixty percent in South Sudan and this voice of sixty percent population in South Sudan must be … heard loud calling for peace, development and tranquility in South Sudan.”

Mr. Losuba said they had already met with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and were hoping to meet with the opposition.

Conflict broke in the country between pro- and anti-government forces in the capital Juba, Central Equatoria State, on 15 December 2013, quickly spreading to several other states.

15 January 2014 - Continuous fighting around the Jonglei State capital Bor has driven an estimated 136,000 South Sudanese civilians across the River Nile into Awerial County in Lakes State, according to local officials.

An estimated 2,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were still crossing the river daily, but have yet to be properly registered due to the overwhelming number, an official from the Awerial County Office of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) told an UNMISS team assessing the area from 10 to 14 January.

The price for the boat crossing from Bor to Awerial ranges from 100 to 200 South Sudanese pounds. Those with no money remained stranded amidst the conflict, as Awerial is the safest and closest place to flee.

Some people were reportedly trapped on islands along the Nile, but security concerns made immediately rescuing them unlikely without government assistance.

In Minkgaman, IDPs initially settled in host community compounds or under trees and shared with local people what little they had. Now, some 67,500 IDPs have received food and non-food items, but more is needed, according to the SSRRC.

Community and county administrations have allocated about 30 kilometres of land for IDP settlement along the Minkgaman - Yirol road.

Ongoing humanitarian assistance is being provided by Medecines sans Frontieres (health), Doctors with Africa, the International Committee of the Red Cross, OXFAM, Save the Children and other organizations.

County authorities noted that the humanitarian situation had improved despite the influx of IDPs still crossing the river. Some IDPs have travelled on to Yirol, Rumbek and Juba.

15 January 2014 - UNMISS will use all resources available to protect civilians taking refuge in UN compounds from continuing conflict in South Sudan, UNMISS Spokesperson Ariane Quentier told UN Radio Miraya today.

“The UN will do its outmost to protect civilians with and within the limits of its capacity of resources … and in general go at length to protect civilians,” said Ariane Quentier.

She said the UN message to those sheltering at UN compounds fearing for their safety was that the UN was committed to protect everyone, regardless of their background.

“The UN is committed to protect every single civilian, wherever they come from, whoever they are and what their background is,” said Ms. Quentier. “The UN remains committed to provide the conditions for humanitarian assistance to reach them in the protected sites.”

Currently, 65,000 civilians are sheltering in UN compounds in Juba, Bor, Malakal and other areas around the country.

Ms. Quentier said UNMISS would open their bases to people seeking protection and the United Nations would reach out to those outside UN bases.

16 January 2014 - Some 30,000 feet above the ground in South Sudan, the pilot of an Australian C-17 Globemaster was kitted out in a flak jacket and helmut, preparing to clear the country’s airspace.

“We’re flying at a specific profile, which will mitigate a lot of the risk that the aircraft will be put in,” Flight Lieutenant Luke Ridgway recently told UN Radio Miraya. “Being on the ground in South Sudan for a minimal amount of time has been our goal."

In December 2013, after conflict broke out in the world’s youngest nation, Acting Australian Prime Minister Warren Truss committed two Australian aircraft and crew to support UNMISS.

The team has used three air crews to keep the enormous C-17 running constantly between Juba and the UN logistical hub in Brindisi, Italy, bringing vital supplies. Each load has three classic, metal containers like those on any cargo ship.

“Inside, those containers are loaded up with supplies … like water purification kits, sanitation kits, tents and tarpaulins and also defensive stores for United Nations personnel that are dispersed around the capital and regionally in South Sudan,” Lieutenant Ridgway said.

“The UN and UNMISS can only stress the extremely valuable role that the Australian forces are playing right now,” said UNMISS Spokesperson Ariane Quentier. “Coming back with all these supplies is vital and crucial for the mission to continue and for the crisis to be addressed.”

Lietenant Ridgway was modest about the part he was playing to assist in the crisis, which began on 15 December with clashes between pro-and anti-government forces in Juba before spreading to several other states.

“It’s very humbling to be a part of this mission,” he said. “It becomes a lot more human when you’re there on the ground, and you see the people, you fly over the refugee camps, as opposed to seeing it on the news.”

And it’s very humbling that we can help even if it is only via shipping containers to the capital,” the flight lieutenant added. “It may seem like a small part but it’s a large cog in a large wheel that is helping the people of South Sudan."

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has taken a number of steps to improve security at its ‘protection of civilians sites’ in UN bases across the country. The objective is to ensure the safety for the around 65,000 displaced persons and the surrounding communities, and maintain the civilian nature of the sites.

An array of security measures have been put in place. Weapon searches have now been undertaken in all the main bases, in Juba, Bor, Bentiu and Malakal. This has been done by UN Police supported by UNMISS military forces, including ‘combing’ the areas with metal detectors. Joint UN Police and military patrols are taking place inside and in the immediate vicinity of all the sites, while troops are guarding the perimeter of UNMISS compounds.

Fencing, berms and ditches have been built, and displaced persons coming in and out are systematically screened and controlled. Further security measures to strengthen the perimeters of the camps are also underway.

Another 63 additional UN police personnel arrived yesterday, bringing the total number of UNPOL reinforcements to 315. With a last group coming next Friday, the additional more robust and armed police units authorized by the Security Council in December will be completed. They will deploy in Formed Police Units to UNMISS bases in Juba, Malakal and Bentiu.

To address all security concerns, the UN Police (UNPOL) Commissioner is regularly meeting with the South Sudan Police Inspector General and in Juba with the Central Equatorian Police Commissioner.
The congestion of the sites also poses a challenge to the safety of civilians. Yesterday UNMISS started moving newly arrived displaced persons from the UN Tomping compound to the protection site at UN House where space is still available. Several hundred have now changed location.

UNMISS wants to reiterate its impartiality in the ongoing conflict, and in the implementation of its mandate to protect all civilians, irrespective of who they are, where they come from and what their ethnic background is.

For further information or media enquiries,
Spokesperson: Ariane Quentier - quentier@un.org +211 912 177 770

17 January 2014 - Health workers at the UNMISS Juba Tomping base, which now hosts over 17,000 displaced South Sudanese, were facing tremendous challenges, the hospital commandant said today.

Although it had only 25 beds, 100 patients were currently seeking treatment at the mission hospital, Dr. Chanthy Phok said.

“We have many women and children,” he said. “These need treatment for which the hospital was not equipped in the first place.”

The hospital, which is ordinarily intended for UN staff, was now dealing with pregnancies and deliveries and children’s diseases.

“Treating children is a real challenge,” said Dr. Phok. “We have medicine that is intended for adults, not syrups for children. Now we have to improvise and make powder out of tablets in order to get some treatment for the children.”

The most common diseases were malaria, diahorrea and measles, he said.

A weekly reported issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 15 January said 39 new suspected measles cases had been recorded from Tomping internally displaced person (IDP) camp in Juba in the last week.

“WHO and cluster partners are making efforts to control the measles outbreaks in all the displaced people’s camps through emergency vaccination campaigns,” the report said.

According to Dr. Kouassi Rene Kouame, a member of a team that recently joined the mission to deal with increased cases requiring surgery, lack of necessary tools was also a problem.

“We got someone who was injured near the neck and needed a special tool in order to operate on him,” said Dr. Kouame. “We had to improvise, to create the tool. Luckily, the operation went well and the patient will soon be discharged.”

He noted, however, that there were many cases of pregnant women needing caesarean sections, which was difficult in situations where decisions were taken late, depending on the arrival time of patients.

“We had one C-section that was not successful,” he said, adding that the hospital was now encouraging women to get checked as early as possible so that decisions could be made in time.

Doctors at the hospital also said it was important that both humanitarian actors and IDPs worked to ensure better hygiene in the camp to prevent the increasing number of people acquiring preventable diseases.

“Water and sanitation conditions remain dire in most areas, posing a higher risk of water borne diseases,” the WHO report also said.

20 January 2014 - Churches in the Western Equatoria capital Yambio have donated vitally needed items to over 60 internal displaced persons (IDPs) who were recently caught in conflict in Mundri Country.

Secondhand clothes, bed covers and food were distributed to the IDPs, who survived in the bush for three days after conflict erupted between Sudan People’s Liberation Army soldiers there on 4 January.

“We as a church should … help our people spiritually and physically by offering what we have to those in need,” said Reverend Samuel Timoteo of the Christians in Communion of Evangelical Churches (CEEC).

He called on South Sudanese leaders to stop fighting and enter into dialogue. People were tired of war, which had been present in the country on and off since the 1950s.

Churches and community based organizations, including the Young Women’s Christian Association, submitted their contributions to the state Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, which has been hosting the IDPS at its Rehabilitation Centre.

Peace has prevailed in Western Equatoria following conflict that broke out in Juba on 15 December 2013 between pro- and anti-government forces and spread to several other states.

20 January 2014 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was alarmed by attempts of senior South Sudanese government officials to force entry into the protective site for civilians at the UNMISS compound in the Jonglei State capital Bor, UNMISS Spokesperson Ariane Quentier said in Juba today.

Ms. Quentier’s remarks followed comments from government officials about UNMISS’ refusal to allow armed soldiers into the mission’s base. According to the comments, the incident raised concerns about the UNs position during conflict in the country over the last five weeks.

“The Secretary-General is also very disturbed that there were threats against staff members from UNMISS when they denied access to military personnel from the South Sudan army into the compound,” she said. “The Secretary-General calls on all the parties to respect the sanctity of UNMISS protection sites and UNMISS installations.”

There are currently an estimated 10,000 civilians taking shelter in the protection site at UNMISS premises in Bor.

“The Secretary-General condemns the threats made against UN personnel and demands that all parties to the conflict respect the sanctity of UNMISS protection sites,” a statement issued by his spokesperson said yesterday.

“This incident is just one of a growing number of violations of the Status of Forces Agreement, making it increasingly difficult for UNMISS to implement its mandate and dangerous for UN staff working in South Sudan,” it added.

Mr. Ban noted in the statement that thousands of civilians had been killed, brutally abused and left homeless in just over a month of conflict in South Sudan.

He called on parties and their leaders to do far more to ensure fighters under their command protected civilians and respected international humanitarian law. They should also immediately cease hostilities, which have had such a devastating impact on their young country.

21 January 2014 - Seven unaccompanied children were among 18 internally displaced people (IDPs) who arrived in the Northern Bahr El-Ghazal capital Aweil today from Rubkona County in Unity State. IDP Adhok Akok said when fighting started in Bentiu, they took refuge in the UNMISS compound. But after the government recaptured the town earlier this month, they made a decision to leave the state.

Using public commercial transport, the IDPs set off for Aweil.

“These children were crying without their parents, so I took them for their safety and welfare,” she said. “Four of their mothers have contacted us, but we do not know the whereabouts of the others.”

Ms. Akok thanked Aweil residents for giving the children food and asked for more support, as she was also a new arrival in the area.

The state’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission director, Deng Kuel Kuel, described the situation as “terrible”.

“(When) they reported to my office this morning, I interviewed them and confirmed seven children (arrived without) their parents,” he said. “I talked to the social welfare department in order to identify the families or relatives.”

24 January 2014 - When shooting began in Juba on 15 December 2013, Mary Nyapel was sleeping in her house near the national army’s headquarters in Juba, unaware that the gunfire would change her life.

“My husband was killed in front of our children,” said the mother of five, who currently lives in a small make-shift tent in the UNMISS protection site in Tomping. “When the children saw this, they ran away from the house thinking that both of their parents had been killed. It was hard for our children to see the blood of their father.”

Ms. Nyapel survived, but with injuries to both legs she could not escape, and stayed in her home with her two youngest children.

“I spent three days without seeing my (other) children,” she recounts. “I did not know where they were, but an UNMISS staff brought me here and later on I was reunited with my children.”

Apparently, another woman from her neighbourhood took Ms. Nyapel’s children with her as she and thousands of other civilians sought refuge in the mission’s base.

Ms. Nyapel’s story is similar to others in the camp, where UNMISS, UNICEF and the non-governmental organization Non-Violent Peace Force are working together to respond to different child protection challenges.

“We are … involved in reunification of children separated from their families (and) in family tracing,” said UNMISS Child Protection Officer Bado Datar.

According to a UNICEF report issued on 5 January, 210 separated or unaccompanied children have been identified in UN camps in Juba. While the more fortunate ones like Ms. Nyapel have been reunited with their children, the report noted that there were still 87 cases of missing children.

Close to Ms. Nyapel’s tent, a father walked around with a photo of his missing son in his pocket. As they escaped fighting in Juba, the little boy somehow got separated from his mother.

“I have a problem,” he said, explaining that he and his family had only just returned to South Sudan from Israel. Now it seemed that dreams of settling in their peaceful, independent nation had been shattered, but even worse, they’d lost a child.

Other children have been reported missing in camps across the country, the report said. In Awerial, Lakes State, a total of 97 unaccompanied children were identified and registered. Eight were reunified with their parents, while protection partners worked out a foster care system for others.

UNMISS and UNICEF organized an advocacy programme in Juba UN House this week to raise awareness about issues of recruiting children into armed forces and reporting on grave child rights violations.