UNMISS “Protection of Civilians” (PoC) Sites
- As of 9 July, the estimated number of civilians seeking safety in ten Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites located on UNMISS bases is 97,136, including 31,940 in Juba (Tomping and UN House), 18,703 in Malakal, 4,123 in Bor, 40,574 in Bentiu, 566 in Wau, 1,189 in Melut, 27 in Nasser, and 14 in Rumbek.
Activities in Protection Sites
UNMISS remains concerned about the number of IDPs in its military bases, particularly in Bentiu where the numbers continue to remain high. The bases were not prepared or established to house so many IDPs for such a lengthy period of time, as a result a number of IDPs live in congested conditions, with serious sanitary and health concerns; all of which are exacerbated further with the rainy season. Despite ongoing improvements, flooding occurs regularly in all protection sites.
Given uncertainties surrounding the cessation of hostilities and the projected deterioration of the food security situation in conflict affected states, numbers of IDPs in UNMISS bases are expected to remain high over the coming months.
Work continues in the construction by UNMISSS and other partners of new and extended PoC sites, which better suit the requirements of IDP sites, especially by providing more space and better drainage. In Malakal, 11,295 IDPs (2/3 of entire population) has already moved into a new PoC site inside the recently expanded UNMISS base.