A high-level delegation of the UN mission in South Sudan and authorities on Wednesday visited Kodok, an area in Fashoda County of Upper Nile State, the UN mission said.

 Fashoda is the area where some 20,000 people displaced by fighting among armed groups have congregated near the UN base.

 “Our peacekeepers are doing their best to facilitate humanitarian access, especially using riverine access via the Nile,” said Leda Limann, Head of the mission’s Field Office in the state capital, Malakal, who was on the ground speaking with the newly displaced.

For his part, the Acting Governor of Upper Nile State, Luke Saadallah Deng, assured the conflict-affected that state authorities were doing everything in their power to quell tensions and ensure calm prevails.

“It is our primary responsibility as the Government to ensure all citizens are protected. Things are slowly getting better, and I urge community leaders to encourage their people to embrace peace. Everybody has an individual responsibility to resolve disputes without resorting to violence. If we all commit to this, I am sure stability will soon return, and people will be able to return to their original settlements to rebuild their lives,” stated the Acting Governor.

Opiti Tor, a displaced who had arrived in Kodok just eight days prior, said the presence of UN peacekeepers is reassuring after the horrors he has witnessed.

“It has been a difficult time for many of us, but we are grateful to peacekeepers for providing us immediate protection,” he stated. “We hope humanitarian partners will establish more water points because clean water is essential for us at the moment.”