The United Nations’ humanitarian arm reported as of 20 June worsening conditions for civilians in the UN base in Bentiu, capital of South Sudan’s Unity State, and that the population in the already overcrowded site could soon hit 60,000 people.
“Living conditions for the up to 46,000 displaced people sheltering in the UN base in Bentiu deteriorated sharply,” read the weekly bulletin of the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “The number of people in the base could increase to 60,000 in the coming weeks.”
Around 100,000 people are sheltering in the UN’s bases in South Sudan, most fleeing the civil war that began in mid-December.
Bentiu is already severely overcrowded, with “thousands” of malnourished people pouring in over the last two weeks.
OCHA said aid agencies could only supply “4-9 litres of water per person per day, far below the SPHERE standard of 20 litres,” and that there are 234 people per latrine.
“Another 721 latrines were urgently needed to meet the emergency standard of one latrine for every 50 people,” the bulletin read.
OCHA said there have been 599 cases of severe acute malnutrition among children and that over 100 children have died in Bentiu’s base over the past six weeks, mostly from diarrhea, pneumonia, and malnutrition, diseases which thrive in unsanitary, cramped conditions.
Rains have muddied roads and dirt airstrips, limiting air delivery of humanitarian goods to Bentiu.
Continued insecurity has also slowed access to live-saving aid.
OCHA said that an unnamed armed group forced a humanitarian chartered aircraft in Bentiu to carry civilians, while the road to Bentiu from Leer County—a rebel controlled area with some of the severest rates of malnutrition in South Sudan—is not secure for free movement of civilians.
“Perimeter fencing in the UN base in Bentiu remains an issue,” OCHA added, but did not elaborate.
OCHA said that of the 1.8 billion US dollars needed to meet humanitarian needs in South Sudan, 745 million have been received.