SOUTH SUDAN / DISPLACED PROTECTION SITE

Police officers and military troops gather before dawn outside the gates of the Protection of Civilians site next to the UN compound in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The officers head into the camp to begin their task of searching every shelter in a particular block, looking for illegal and dangerous items. UNMISS

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:03
• Production Date: 22 November 2019
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN SOUTH SUDAN – UNMISS
• Subject Topical: CIVILIAN PROTECTION
• Geographic Subject: SOUTH SUDAN
• MAMS Id: 2505743
• Parent Id: 2505743
• Alternate Title: unifeed191122i

Description

STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / DISPLACED PROTECTION SITE
TRT: 2:03
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 22 NOVEMBER 2019, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

Shotlist

1. Various Shots, Military troops gathering
2. Various Shots, Search Operation
3. SOUNDBITE (English) John Chol Yok, Protection of Civilians Site Chairman:
“The search operation is good for us, the community here. Whatever they have, like weapons or whatever, then they should be removed by the UN. We like the searching.”
4. Various Shots, Protection of Civilian Sites
5. Various Shots, Internally Displaced People
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Machar, Protection of Civilians Site Resident:
“It’s very important for us to know the reason why we are here because it’s not our choice to be here, you know. So we can follow the rules of the UN. We can follow what the UN is doing because they are the ones who are saving our lives, they are the ones who are giving us water. They are the ones who are giving us food. They are the ones who are giving us education.”
7. Med Shot, Protection of Civilian Site
8. Various Shots, Illegal items confiscated
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Kai Zhang, Un Police Deputy Protection of Civilians’ Site Coordinator:
“Last year, we confiscated [gun] magazines, an AK47, of course a weapon, you are not allowed to have in the POC site, and we have drugs and machetes, all kinds of blades can’t be in the POC site. Another thing is military uniforms, you are not allowed.”
10. Various Shots, Search Operation
11. Various Shots, Internally Displaced People

Storyline

Police officers and military troops gather before dawn outside the gates of the Protection of Civilians site next to the UN compound in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Everyone is briefed on their role in the surprise search operation that is about to take place.

The officers head into the camp to begin their task of searching every shelter in a particular block, looking for illegal and dangerous items.

SOUNDBITE (English) John Chol Yok, Protection of Civilians Site Chairman:
“The search operation is good for us, the community here. Whatever they have, like weapons or whatever, then they should be removed by the UN. We like the searching.”

The protection site was established to provide sanctuary to people forced to flee for their lives when civil war erupted in South Sudan six years ago. About 30,000 people live in the camps in Juba, including hundreds of children who have been born here and never experienced life outside.

SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Machar, Protection of Civilians Site Resident:
“It’s very important for us to know the reason why we are here because it’s not our choice to be here, you know. So we can follow the rules of the UN. We can follow what the UN is doing because they are the ones who are saving our lives, they are the ones who are giving us water. They are the ones who are giving us food. They are the ones who are giving us education.”

The camps are the size of small cities and, therefore, suffer the same risks and incidents of crime. UN police do their best to prevent and respond to these incidents to keep people safe. Today’s search has been triggered by information received from people living in the site about the presence of drugs.

SOUNDBITE (English) Kai Zhang, Un Police Deputy Protection of Civilians’ Site Coordinator:
“Last year, we confiscated [gun] magazines, an AK47, of course a weapon, you are not allowed to have in the POC site, and we have drugs and machetes, all kinds of blades can’t be in the POC site. Another thing is military uniforms, you are not allowed.”

The searches are carried out respectfully with the permission and presence of those living in the shelters. People are also educated about the need for security and to conduct searches as a means of keeping displaced families safe.

For many of those living in the sites, though, they are just looking forward to the day when they can leave these shelters behind and return to their own homes as peace descends on South Sudan.