UN peacekeepers in South Sudan (UNMISS) must shore up efforts to protect civilians, rights group Amnesty International said today ahead of a country visit by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. 

According to UNMISS, Jean-Pierre Lacroix will visit South Sudan’s capital, Juba from July 31st to 2nd August, 2017. Lacroix is scheduled meet with political leaders, humanitarian actors, and internally displaced people (IDPs), including those sheltering in UNMISS-run sites in Malakal and Bentiu. 

“Jean-Pierre Lacroix must highlight the urgent need to protect hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians in South Sudan, tens of thousands of whom are now in UNMISS camps. Having fled hunger, atrocities and ethnically-motivated attacks, they are in dire need of protection and international assistance,” said Joanne Mariner, Senior Crisis Response Adviser at Amnesty International.

“UNMISS must live up to its mandate to protect civilians by deploying forces directly to areas where civilians are being displaced, where they remain at ongoing risk, and where humanitarian aid is desperately needed. South Sudan’s dire situation should give the international community pause when considering potentially life-threatening cuts to UN peacekeeping operations,” she added.

The United Nations said 1,900,000 people were displaced in South Sudan, including 217,969 seeking UNMISS protection as of mid-July. More than 5.5 million people across the country are facing a food emergency.

The world body reported that a total of 1.9 million South Sudanese refugees have also fled to neighbouring countries.