Residents of South Sudan flashpoint town in need of aid after attack – UN official
Residents of South Sudan flashpoint town in need of aid after attack – UN official
A burning tukul (hut) in Pibor, South Sudan
While the showdown between the South Sudanese military and thousands of armed tribesmen over the flashpoint town of Pibor has subsided, the humanitarian situation in the area remains grim, a top United Nations official in the country warned today.
Over the weekend, thousands of members of the Murle ethnic group who had sought refuge in Pibor in Jonglei state fled the town as it came under attack by a 6,000-strong column of armed youths from the rival Lou Nuer community.
“There is no doubt that there have been casualties,” said Lise Grande, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, speaking to the press via teleconference from the national capital, Juba.
“I would put the number in the tens, perhaps the hundreds, but we don’t know,” she added, pointing out it was too early to confirm the overall number of deaths in and around Pibor.
The focus of the UN now is in tracking the column as it goes back and in providing emergency assistance to the people in Jonglei who need it the most.
Ms. Grande said peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), supporting the Government, had rescued and evacuated civilians in Pibor and helped to deter further violence.
“The focus of the UN now is in tracking the column as it goes back and in providing emergency assistance to the people in Jonglei who need it the most.”
Jonglei has been blighted by a series of reprisal attacks between the two communities, which have a history of animosity over grazing land, water sources and cattle raids during which women and children are often abducted.
Ms. Grande told reporters that as the Lou Nuer column had withdrawn from Pibor and was heading back to its own territory, tensions had subsided with many of the town’s Murle inhabitants returning.
“The situation [in Pibor] is much more stable. We see this as a very positive step,” she said, but also noted that while the security situation had improved, the humanitarian outlook was quickly deteriorating.
“The situation on the ground now, in humanitarian terms, is grim,” Ms. Grande said, warning that there was “no question” that the returning inhabitants were in trouble. “They haven’t had food. They haven’t had access to clean water. And in a number of cases some of their people are wounded.”
Pointing to humanitarian relief efforts, Ms. Grande said the UN World Food Programme (WFP) had flown in its first supplies of aid and distributed it to the most highly vulnerable – unaccompanied and orphaned children.
“Over the course of the next week,” she continued, “WFP is going to be providing additional support.”
She further noted that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were also mounting a “massive emergency support programme” to help people as they returned.
Since the start of last year, more than 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed in South Sudan’s ethnic clashes, with Jonglei one of the states worst affected by the violence. Thousands more civilians have been displaced from their homes.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed the situation in Jonglei yesterday by telephone with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, and commended his Government’s efforts to resolve the ethnic tensions in the area.
Mr. Ban noted that the commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights was fundamental. He also stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of the conflict.While the showdown between the South Sudanese military and thousands of armed tribesmen over the flashpoint town of Pibor has subsided, the humanitarian situation in the area remains grim, a top United Nations official in the country warned today.
Over the weekend, thousands of members of the Murle ethnic group who had sought refuge in Pibor in Jonglei state fled the town as it came under attack by a 6,000-strong column of armed youths from the rival Lou Nuer community.
“There is no doubt that there have been casualties,” said Lise Grande, UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, speaking to the press via teleconference from the national capital, Juba.
“I would put the number in the tens, perhaps the hundreds, but we don’t know,” she added, pointing out it was too early to confirm the overall number of deaths in and around Pibor.
Ms. Grande said peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), supporting the Government, had rescued and evacuated civilians in Pibor and helped to deter further violence.
“The focus of the UN now is in tracking the column as it goes back and in providing emergency assistance to the people in Jonglei who need it the most.”
Jonglei has been blighted by a series of reprisal attacks between the two communities, which have a history of animosity over grazing land, water sources and cattle raids during which women and children are often abducted.
Ms. Grande told reporters that as the Lou Nuer column had withdrawn from Pibor and was heading back to its own territory, tensions had subsided with many of the town’s Murle inhabitants returning.
“The situation [in Pibor] is much more stable. We see this as a very positive step,” she said, but also noted that while the security situation had improved, the humanitarian outlook was quickly deteriorating.
“The situation on the ground now, in humanitarian terms, is grim,” Ms. Grande said, warning that there was “no question” that the returning inhabitants were in trouble. “They haven’t had food. They haven’t had access to clean water. And in a number of cases some of their people are wounded.”
Pointing to humanitarian relief efforts, Ms. Grande said the UN World Food Programme (WFP) had flown in its first supplies of aid and distributed it to the most highly vulnerable – unaccompanied and orphaned children.
“Over the course of the next week,” she continued, “WFP is going to be providing additional support.”
She further noted that the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were also mounting a “massive emergency support programme” to help people as they returned.
Since the start of last year, more than 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed in South Sudan’s ethnic clashes, with Jonglei one of the states worst affected by the violence. Thousands more civilians have been displaced from their homes.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed the situation in Jonglei yesterday by telephone with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, and commended his Government’s efforts to resolve the ethnic tensions in the area.
Mr. Ban noted that the commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights was fundamental. He also stressed the importance of addressing the root causes of the conflict.
###
About United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)
Fighting hunger worldwide
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.
“In emergencies, we get food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After the cause of an emergency has passed, we use food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives.”
WFP is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded.
Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. We work towards that vision with our sister UN agencies in Rome — the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — as well as other government, UN and NGO partners.
In 2011 we aim to reach more than 90 million people with food assistance in more than 70 countries. Around 10,000 people work for the organization, most of them in remote areas, directly serving the hungry poor.
WFP’s five objectives:
- Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies
- Prepare for emergencies
- Restore and rebuild lives after emergencies
- Reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition everywhere
- Strengthen the capacity of countries to reduce hunger
WFP’s Mission statement
WFP is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access of all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. ¹ The policies governing the use of World Food Programme food aid must be oriented towards the objective of eradicating hunger and poverty. The ultimate objective of food aid should be the elimination of the need for food aid.
Targeted interventions are needed to help to improve the lives of the poorest people – people who, either permanently or during crisis periods, are unable to produce enough food or do not have the resources to otherwise obtain the food that they and their households require for active and healthy lives.
Consistent with its mandate, which also reflects the principle of universality, WFP will continue to:
- use food aid to support economic and social development;
- meet refugee and other emergency food needs, and the associated logistics support; and
- promote world food security in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations and FAO.
The core policies and strategies that govern WFP activities are to provide food aid:
- to save lives in refugee and other emergency situations;
- to improve the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people at critical times in their lives; and
- to help build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities, particularly through labour-intensive works programmes.
###
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org
###
About the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless people.
In more than six decades, the agency has helped tens of millions of people restart their lives.
Today, a staff of some 7,685 people in more than 125 countries continues to help some 33.9 million persons.
###
> United Nations (UN).
The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN: membership totals 192 countries.
When States become Members of the United Nations, they agree to accept the obligations of the UN Charter, an international treaty that sets out basic principles of international relations. According to the Charter, the UN has four purposes:
- to maintain international peace and security;
- to develop friendly relations among nations;
- to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights;
- and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
###
* The above story is adapted from materials provided by United Nations (UN)
** More information at United Nations (UN)
