Juba POC: Civilians turn to UNMISS for help since the gov’t is inactive.

Internally displaced people (IDPs) camped at the Juba civilians protection site have asked the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to enhance sanitation and supply safe drinking water to the IDPs.

The IDPs disclosed to NCMP that the UN has ceased providing them with clean water in the camps and that the bathrooms are insufficient for the population, making life more difficult for them.

Nyakoang Chuol Deng, the Camp Chairperson, claimed the camps lacked numerous amenities, including clean water, and that they were compelled to collect water from ditches because of the circumstances.

“There are a lot of things we don’t have in this camp; we don’t have bathrooms, we don’t have water, and our kids are now going outside to get water from the ditches.”

Who is to blame if we perish in this UN complex in Juba due to a lack of water, despite the fact that the River Nile water flows freely here in Juba?

We are suffering in our camp due to a shortage of water, and we will continue to suffer as a result of circumstances created by males in this nation,” Camp Chairperson Deng told Radio Tamazuj.

The absence of clean water, according to one of the IDPs, Deng Nhial Chuol, has become a serious problem.

” There is no water, and we have no idea what is going on since the shortage of water and food in the camp will almost certainly result in a slew of illnesses.” Even if you go around the camp today, the bathrooms seem like they belong in a livestock camp.” Nhial continued.

Bor Gai, speaking on behalf of the Juba PoC Youth Forum, voiced his worry as well, saying:

“This is a source of worry for everyone in the camp because without water, sanitation is poor, and there will be a slew of issues.” There are a lot of theft instances outside the camp right now, and they’re caused by a shortage of water since our girls and moms go outside the camp to get water.”

Hon. Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, and other top Ministry of Health officials made a visit to POC last week to evaluate the humanitarian situation and promised to build a water distribution system to the IDPs.

The UN Mission in South Sudan has been accused of attempting to divert funds intended for IDPs to other responsibilities such as policing and roads in order to repair their strained relationship with President Salva Kiir’s administration, putting IDPs in a more vulnerable position and forcing them to leave their camps.

The UNMISS has removed its troops from the civilian protection camps but has previously said that it would continue to provide basic services to internally displaced persons.