As of December 29, an estimated 180,000 people had been driven from their homes by the fighting, 75,000 of whom are seeking shelter in U.N. compounds. “With clashes and mobilization of armed actors ongoing in several parts of the country, civilians continue to be displaced … There are reports of significant concentrations of people displaced in rural areas in Jonglei, Lakes, Warrap, and Unity states,” the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update.
To date, some 106,000 people – around 60% of those in need – have been reached with some kind of assistance, according to OCHA. Aid agencies say they require an estimated US$209 million between now and March 2014 to respond to the immediate needs: $43 million have so far been received. Food, shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare and protection remain the key needs of the displaced. Of Jonglei State, which has experienced the brunt of the fighting, OCHA said: “Bor, the area sheltering civilians, remains congested. Sanitation is poor and the main priority is to dig additional latrines, improve provision of clean water, and continue to provide emergency healthcare.”
The global children’s charity, Save the Children, has warned that “thousands of others, including children, are likely to have fled to the remote bush or to vast swampy areas where people will likely have no shelter and will be living under trees, will be forced to drink stagnant water, and will have no access to humanitarian support.” Aid agencies have noted that “access to food remains limited for displaced people sheltering in U.N. bases around the country, and there is a need for distribution of basic food and nutrition supplies. Food needs are particularly pressing in Bor and Bentiu.”
The conflict has left women and children highly vulnerable to abuse. An aid worker, who sought anonymity, said that there are increasing cases of gender-based violence including rape, and some parents have lost track of their children in the congested camps. “It is a bad situation and many women are exposed to violence and many are being raped. The ethnic nature of this violence and suspicion among communities has made it extremely dangerous and we have had cases where women are attacked based on their ethnicity,” she said.
Save the Children has warned that thousands of children might have been separated from their parents, “with many surviving on their own in very remote and hard-to-reach areas. Save the Children is highly concerned with their safety and welfare, many of whom have witnessed their parents being killed and their homes looted or destroyed.” The international community has engaged gears to try and end the violence in the world’s youngest nation. President Kiir has said he is ready for a ceasefire and negotiations, but Machar – who is in hiding – had previously insisted on the release of arrested allies before committing to any truce.
The U.N. Security Council has authorized the near doubling of peacekeepers in the country – from 7,000 to 12,500. Already, the first two police units have arrived, while U.N. Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous said he hoped “all peacekeeping reinforcements will be on the ground within one to three weeks.”
The U.N. is backing IGAD’s mediation efforts. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke with Kiir by phone, welcoming his declared commitment to dialogue and encouraging him to “consider the early release of political prisoners.” According to a U.N. news report, he also stressed the need “to hold accountable those responsible for attacks on civilians.”
