The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has responded to allegations by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) of ‘shocking indifference’ toward 21,000 displaced people under its protection at its Tongping base in Juba.
MSF says the people are crammed into flooded portions of the sprawling UN base in Juba while being denied to settle in dry plots adjoining the flooded areas. The civilians fear to leave because of ethnic killings carried out in December.
In a press statement released just hours after MSF made its announcement, the peacekeeping mission replied that it is ‘well aware’ of the risks to civilians crammed into its bases.
UNMISS pointed out that none of its bases were designed to ‘cater’ for displaced populations.
The UN statement added that the mission has been negotiating with the South Sudanese authorities access to more land to accommodate the displaced and is building additional new sites to resettle them.
This plan was termed ‘unrealistic’ by UNMISS because of the slow pace with which it is being executed, and emphasizing that some urgent interim measures needed to be taken until the camp is further decongested.
UNMISS explains, however, that the residents of the Tongping site are being ‘gradually moved’ to alternative protection sites as they are completed.
“The Tomping POC site will be closed in May when the new and improved POC site in the Jebel area is expected to be ready,” adds the statement.
The peacekeeping mission also says it is ‘advocating’ with authorities for “political and security solutions that will allow all citizens of South Sudan to exercise their right to return to the neighbourhoods in which they used to live or to seek abode in any other part of their country.”
Photo: Aurelie Baumel/MSF
Related coverage:
MSF slams UN leadership in South Sudan for ‘shocking indifference’ (9 Apr.)
Doctors expect ‘huge spike in malaria cases’ at Tongping camp (20 March)
Scramble to decongest Juba camps after first rains (18 March)
Excerpts: UN report on the killings in Juba, South Sudan (26 February)
‘They just started shooting at us’ (20 Jan.)