UNMISS relocates displaced families

The UN mission in South Sudan has relocated some 1000 displaced people from a transit point in Juba to the UN House, one of the U.N. Protection of Civilian sites.

The group is made up of families displaced by violence in the capital city when fighting broke out between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar.

The transit point in Juba known as Tomping was poorly constructed and congested consequently experiencing flooding and poor sanitation.

Sam Muhumure,Reintegration and protection officer at UNMISS explained, “As you know, there is an outbreak of cholera in Juba. And if you see this Tomping area, it is a swampy area and it’s prone to flooding and that makes the risk of serious disease outbreak very high…Let us remember that primarily they are here for protection and Tomping was not meant to be a POC (Protection Of Civilians site).”

U.N. peacekeepers are still sheltering over 170,000 civilians at six sites.

The United Nations says about 40 to 45 percent of the 12,000 member peacekeeping mission is dedicated to guarding those compounds.

Relocating civilians will be travelling in convoys protected by UNMISS and the country’s national police service.

Reuters