United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Peacekeepers conduct lifesaving flooding measures

Zawya

10-06-2025

'Every day is about survival.'
This stark message captures the urgency of the dire situation as the heavy rains begin to fall in Bentiu where vast parts of the landscape are already submerged by catastrophic floods that devastated the area five years ago.
Lieutenant Colonel Jamal Haroon is one of a team of engineering peacekeepers from Pakistan, serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, who are responsible for maintaining a vast network of dykes protecting 300,000 people from the 4,500 square kilometers of stagnant waters that threaten their lives and livelihoods on a daily basis.
'We are constantly on alert to ensure that the dykes hold as well as working to strengthen them ahead of the rainy season when we know the waters will rise yet again,' he says.
His colleague, Major Hilmi Munsif, Chief of Operations for the Pakistani Engineering Contingent, stresses the fragility of the situation.
'Bentiu and its surroundings are a very low-lying area. If we take the example of a bowl, you could consider Bentiu the bottom of the bowl. So, every rainfall that is coming from the Nile River or the south, ends up accumulating in this location.'
Every week, the peacekeepers conduct extensive boat patrols to measure the water levels, which helps them with contingency planning.
The data collected shows the 'bottom of the bowl' is under increasing threat.
The 738mm of accumulated rainfall last year caused water levels to rise more than half a meter.
This year, they expect accumulated rainfall will reach 1100mm, an increase of more than 50 percent. This prediction prompted the engineers to further raise the dyke levels by 1.5 meters to prevent a disastrous overflow.
While measuring water levels might seem like a mundane activity for peacekeepers, it is the reason that residents in Bentiu, including the thousands of families living in a displacement camp, are safe.
'Life before the floods was better. When displaced families came here, they had the ability to go and collect firewood in the bush and forests. Now, things have changed,' shares camp leader, Solomon Yain.
However, turning the threat of the floodwaters into an opportunity, these resilient residents have found new ways to survive, building canoes that allow them to go fishing and reach far into the flooded areas to find firewood to dry and sell at the local market.
This can-do attitude is much needed in the dire conditions, as is the support of many partners.
'A collective effort by the State, communities, humanitarian agencies, UNMISS and other partners is vital to dealing with this unexpected and unfortunate situation. Our hope is that we will all continue to work together to mitigate and respond,' says UNMISS' Acting Head of the Bentiu Field Office, Denis Fuh Chenwi.
Failure to do so may lead to another tragic escalation of the already urgent situation.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).