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UN PhotoSOUTH SUDAN / TAMBURA WOMEN DISPLACED
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / TAMBURA WOMEN DISPLACED
TRT: 02:57
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 28 AUGUST 2025, TAMBURA, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Wide shot, aerial view of Tambura
2. Various shots, displacement camp in Tambura and UNMISS Ethiopian peacekeepers pat rolling inside the camp
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Geonina Louis Wanja, displaced person:
“The conflict started, we are not happy as women, our children are equally not happy. We are not even safe here in the camp. For some of us women who are widows, life is hard. There is no way to get food and people are being killed. If they catch you in the garden, you will be killed as if you are a criminal. In this camp, we cannot go out to get something small to feed your child. We have no way to go and fetch water. All of us are just here in the camp and we are suffering. There is no school for children and no water. There is no hospital nearby. If you risk going to the hospital in town, you won’t come back. For me, my husband has passed, I am here with my children who are orphans. Who will help me with these children?”
4. Various shots, displacement camp in Tambura
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Catherine Pijani, displaced person:
" I am here with my four daughters. You can see our situation. Our biggest fear is we are not secure, maybe they will come and bomb us here in these tents. We are staying here, if anything happened, nobody will be our witness, we are staying with the favor of God."
6. Various shots, displacement camp in Tambura and UNMISS Ethiopian peacekeepers engaging with community
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Gloria Marko Juma, displaced person:
“Men are the ones causing this conflict. If it was only us women, this conflict would have come to an end. What should be done is they should be brought together at Freedom Square, the Azande and Balanda should be brought for a dialogue. We are tired, they should dialogue so that we can go back to our homes.”
8. Various shots, patrol inside displacement camp in Tambura
Since violence erupted in Tambura, Western Equatoria, in 2021, thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes and seek sanctuary in displacement camps where they remain today as the security and political situation remains fragile and tense. These communities are suffering from fear, hunger and uncertainty about if or when they may be able to return home and what their future will be. Among those displaced is widow, Geonina Louis Wanja, who is no longer able to farm her land, access schools or hospitals for her children, or even feel safe carrying out simple tasks.
Geonina Louis Wanja, a displaced person, said, “Since the conflict started, we are not happy as women, our children are equally not happy. We are not even safe here in the camp. For some of us women who are widows, life is hard. There is no way to get food and people are being killed. If they catch you in the garden, you will be killed as if you are a criminal. In this camp, we cannot go out to get something small to feed your child. We have no way to go and fetch water. All of us are just here in the camp and we are suffering. There is no school for children and no water. There is no hospital nearby. If you risk going to the hospital in town, you won’t come back. For me, my husband has passed, I am here with my children who are orphans. Who will help me with these children?”
For many, survival itself is uncertain. The mother of four, Catherine Pijani, is anxious every time she steps outside her tent. Catherine Pijani, another displaced person, said, " I am here with my four daughters. You can see our situation. Our biggest fear is we are not secure, maybe they will come and bomb us here in these tents. We are staying here, if anything happened, nobody will be our witness, we are staying with the favor of God."
Women are most affected by the persistent insecurity in this region of South Sudan, yet they are often excluded from political and peacebuilding processes, particularly those dealing with intercommunal tensions and conflict.
Gloria Marko Juma, displaced person, “Men are the ones causing this conflict. If it was only us women, this conflict would have come to an end. What should be done is our men should be brought together at the Freedom Square, the Azande and Balanda should be brought for a dialogue. We are tired, they should dialogue so that we can go back to our homes.”
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan established a temporary operating base in Tambura when the conflict erupted to provide a protective presence, deter violence, facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and support reconciliation and peacebuilding.
In response to a recent surge in violence, the peacekeepers further increased patrols by day and night, to help protect and provide reassurance to civilians of all ethnicities and political affiliations, particularly those living in displacement camps.
Major Lul Brhane, UNMISS Ethiopian battalion commander at Tambura temporary base said, “Our mission, the first one, is civilian protection. In Tambura, there are many IDP camps [internally displaced people] where we are available to patrol. One is around Tambura. There are six IDP [displacement] camps in Tambura and we patrol night and day to serve and provide protection for security for the civilians. Patrols in Tambura keep on increasing again and again.”
These uniformed as well as civilian peacekeepers serving with UNMISS regularly engage with the displaced community to understand and respond to the rapidly evolving security situation. They are also working with local and state authorities in a coordinated approach to enhance security, reduce tensions, and support peacebuilding.
Despite these best efforts, the women of Tambura continue to struggle to survive. They are losing hope for their children and their voices remain united in one plea: for security, peace, and the chance to return home.
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