By Peter Kuol Kuch
BOR, Jonglei, South Sudan – A severe decline in living conditions at
the Bor UN Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp is leading to a dramatic
increase in school dropouts among children, painting a grim picture for a
generation already scarred by conflict. Just over a decade after South Sudan
gained independence, the promise of peace has given way to renewed suffering,
with the humanitarian situation in IDP camps reaching a critical point.
The civil war that
erupted in December 2013, characterized by tribal divisions and horrific human
rights abuses, devastated regions across South Sudan, including Bor town. This
forced many residents to flee to neighboring states, seek refuge in Uganda, or
find shelter in UN Protection of Civilian (POC) Sites within the country. For
years, residents of these camps relied heavily on international relief aid.
However, with the withdrawal of many humanitarian organizations, the economic
situation has intensified, directly impacting the lives of those in the Bor UN
IDP Camp.
The worsening
conditions have seen a surge in children abandoning their education to
contribute to their families’ survival. Many now spend their days polishing
shoes or collecting plastic water bottles to earn a meager living.
Fifteen-year-old Mot
Malony, a fifth-grader at the Bor UN IDP camp, exemplifies this struggle. He
now only partially attends classes, dedicating the rest of his time to
polishing shoes at the Bor Market to support his family. “There is nothing
at all at home. We do this hustling in order to give it to home,” Mot
shared, adding that many of his schoolmates have dropped out and are now living
on the streets. “Some of the boys you’re seeing here, some go to school
but others have abandoned school and they sleep in the market.”
Eliza Joseph, a
women’s representative at the Bor UN IDP camp, expressed deep concern, stating
that they are losing control over the children due to the deplorable living
conditions. “People don’t have a conducive place to stay, most of our
shelters are leaking. The plastic sheets that were given to us by the partners
are damaged,” Eliza explained. She also highlighted the growing problem of
crime within the camp: “Again, people are being robbed by young criminal
groups emerging even from the POC. It’s sad, this is an unbearable
situation.” She noted that many women are forced to seek casual work in
Bor, often leaving their children without adequate parental care.
Mr. Dhiu Majok, the
Camp Manager at the Bor UN IDP Camp, pointed out the systemic issues affecting
education. He stated that most school children only complete primary eight,
unable to access secondary education due to the lack of secondary schools
within the camp. “No! There is no proper education for our children here.
Most of our children end up not going to high school because when you sit for
the exam and you don’t have the way to go, like to secondary school, some of
them don’t even try, and of course, they get married,” Dhiu explained. He
added that residents are also facing severe food shortages and poor health
services, primarily due to the withdrawal of humanitarian partners.
Dhiu Majok appealed to
the government to expedite the integration process, which would allow IDPs to
engage in livelihood activities alongside host communities.
Manyang James Anyang,
the secretary-general at the Jonglei State Civil Society Network, acknowledged
the dire situation, linking it to rising crime rates among children and sexual
exploitation among women. “This has become the concern. Like if the young
boy is the one riding Bodaboda, he works hard to cater for the family in POC.
The same for young men joining local restaurants to work manually, but that is
not enough, because sickness must come,” Manyang stated. He also
highlighted growing gang activities and drug use among young men in the camp,
attributing it to their idleness.
Mr. Manyang urged for
the immediate integration of IDPs at the Bor UN Camps and called upon IDPs
whose homes were taken during the conflict to claim their properties through
legal processes. “We call upon the government to legalize the relocation
process that was meant to be done so that these people are given land in order
to produce their own food and then cater for their family. This is our major
call as civil society in Jonglei,” Manyang added.
In response, Honorable
Mading Akueth, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) director in
Jonglei State, confirmed awareness of the catastrophic situation. He stated
that the government, through the State RRC, is engaging partners on
intervention strategies. “It’s a lack of resources. We need machinery to
create access and set the land because the site will be given in blocks, so
that’s why it delays. The government is seeking support from the partners, and
the partners need support from the donors – so, this is a situation,”
Mading said. He assured IDPs that the state government is engaging host communities
in Bor County to grant free land for their relocation and is mobilizing funds
to facilitate this integration process. “We are allowing the local
residents to finish their yielding this year, and then the relocation of the
IDPs begins later,” he concluded.
It’s important to note
that the scaling down of assistance from the United Nations Mission in South
Sudan and most humanitarian partners, who handed over care to the government,
followed the signing of the revitalized peace agreement by the South Sudan
government and opposition groups.
Editor’s Note:
“This story was
reported with support from Journalists for Human Rights, under the Tackling
Mis/Disinformation Project, funded by the Government of Canada’s Peace and
Stabilization Program.”