World Humanitarian Day: Not A Target
Channel: UNMISS VIDEOS
Date: 2017-08-23

World Humanitarian Day - Not-A-Target

It is just past noon and Mary Kiden, is preparing porridge for lunch. 

Mary is among 80 other displaced that are currently living in difficult conditions at a community center in a Protection of Civilian’s site in the South Sudanese capital, Juba.

She has been here since March when she trekked from Yei.  Her husband was killed on the way. A widow now - and displaced - she finds it difficult to fend for her four children.

SOT
MARY KIDEN
“I have been here since March. My staying here is just slow…. Today I have tomorrow I don’t have – that’s how I live. We are watching on the government – we don’t know what is going to happen in the future. We are staying here and we are suffering. Our troubles include sick children – food is a problem….,” 

Unlike numerous other displaced who have managed to get a place to shelter – Mary is still being considered as a newly arrived as she has not been located in the POC area, and is not receiving regular food rations or non-food items.
One of the camp leaders, Kai Gatluok says those in the camp experience a lot of difficulties – be they newly arrived or long term residents. 

The Protection of Civilians (POC) site came about in December 2013 when conflict broke out in South Sudan. 

Gatluok says that the community center is currently hosting 85 new arrivals, and they continue to receive IDPS day and night.

Recent estimates indicate that 99 displaced were received in the POC sites in Juba on August 16th – with varying numbers arriving every single day. 

Kai Gatluok
Deputy Camp Manager, POC 3
 “They are safe when they come in. But the other problem you hear that there is raping. Raping always happens when they are going to look for firewood,” says Gatlouk.

Ahead of the World Humanitarian Day which is marked annually on August 19th, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN OCHA have been running a campaign aimed at driving awareness on the protection of civilians.


Speaking in the capital Juba - ahead of the day Ian Ridley, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs UNOCHA - South Sudan - highlighted the theme of the World Humanitarian Day campaign.

Ian Ridley 
Head of Office OCHA South Sudan
This World Humanitarian Day, the theme is ‘Not a Target’ – and that’s to draw attention to the fact in conflict, civilians, aid workers, warehouses, clinics shouldn’t be a target. There are rules of war, and those rules require all parties to the conflict to respect that civilians are not targets nor our aid workers, and that’s what we would like to bring out attention to.

South Sudan has over the last seen clinics destroyed during conflict, warehouses looted and aid workers killed. Displaced civilians have been victims of sexual violence and children have also suffered. 

In his interview, Ridley appealed to those targeting air workers to stop.

Ian Ridley 
Head of Office OCHA South Sudan
“Last year on World Humanitarian Day the numbers of Aid workers that had died since December 2013 was 59. This year, it is 82. So almost two aid workers have died while fulfilling their duties here in South Sudan, and I should point out that they are predominantly South Sudanese helping their fellow South Sudanese. So what we would appeal for is for those people that are targeting aid workers to stop doing that and let them continue with their work in safety and security and respect the fact that humanitarian workers are there not as parties to the conflict but on the contrary to bring humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict.”

And as South Sudan’s conflict continues - with more humanitarian workers  putting their lives at risk – insecurity continues to threaten and disrupt the provision of assistance of thousands of displaced, including Mary Kiden - who continue to seek safety and assistance from the United Nations and partners, despite numerous calls on the need to end conflict in the country.

Meanwhile – at an event held on the eve of the World Humanitarian day to mark the day - those present observed a minute of silence – a tribute to aid workers who have been killed in their line of duty, or civilians who have been caught in conflict. 

At the event - invited guests listened to speech after speech, which highlighted pleas on the importance of the work done by humanitarian workers in service of millions of South Sudanese caught in conflict, and in need of humanitarian assistance.

In 2003, 22 aid workers including the then Special Representative of the Secretary General to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello were killed in a bombing at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Every year on, on August 19th the world humanitarian day has been marked “to rally support for people affected by humanitarian crisis and workers who help them.”


ENDS.