Protection of civilian sites - South Sudan

Published 02. Jun 2017
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Today the United Nations shelters 200,000 people inside its bases across South Sudan. Never before in history have tens of thousands of people sought refuge for such a long period in UN compounds. Never before have aid workers been forced to work in close proximity with armed peacekeepers under such conditions. South Sudan has reset the rules of aid operations forever.

NRC this week launched an independent research publication commissioned by NRC that examines the unique operational challenges and dilemmas associated with the POC site model, with the aim of drawing out lessons from South Sudan to better inform future responses. The report advises how aid workers and peacekeepers can co-exist in a shared space; how rules should be set up to manage criminality and security issues in camps; to prevent the flow of arms into sites; and how to ensure families are eventually able to leave and return home.