Written by Liasor S. Dima | Executive Director | UHI
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56074#.WJORmbYrKgB
Fighting in South Sudan Presents a Challenge for Aid Organizations
International aid organizations, in South Sudan, are finding it hard to provide relief due to violence in or around them. The United Nations does not know when the provision of services will continue for the population of people in the Upper Nile. This is due to uncertainty around the unpredictability of violence. For safety reasons, critical staff must be evacuated and whenever that happens, it takes a longer time to continue lifesaving services.
Context
South Sudan’s political stability is continuing to deteriorate for various reasons. This is causing a large increase in the number of refugees recently fleeing into Uganda. Since the independence of South Sudan, there have been multiple incidences of violence in the capital and around the country that have forced aid organizations to evacuate. The international community is attempting to support a peace process that has failed on multiple occasions and people are getting weary. Other than basic needs, the most important thing to families in South Sudan continues to be life itself and many people have left the country to preserve life.
Upper Nile, South Sudan
With the organizations being forced out by sporadic violence, many people will expect to be without services. There should be an emphasis on two things that are happening when conflict arises in the Upper Nile, South Sudan. The first is that, organizations will evacuate their staff for safety, as any organization should. Second, when this happens, the number of people in need of services will increase and so will the severity of the needs. Though both things are not helpful, organizations are doing their very best to serve the people there. We commend their work and HOPE for peace in South Sudan, so that other organizations can return and serve the people.