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UN PhotoSOUTH SUDAN / KHOR MALANG EDUCATION
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / KHOR MALANG EDUCATION
TRT: 3 :00
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH/ARABIC
DATELINE: 04 MAY 2026, WAU, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, pupils learning
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Blessing Juma, Student, Khor Malang Primary School:
“We don’t have school uniforms, scholastic materials, classrooms, or benches. We sit on the ground to learn, and even basic things like soap are a challenge for us.”
3. Various shots, teacher and pupils
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Asunta John, Teacher, Khor Malang Primary School:
“My appeal to organizations is: please help us educate our children. We are not asking for food; we understand that the budget for food rations has stopped. We are only asking for your support in providing a school for our children.”
5. Various shots, a teacher teaching the pupil
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Runamu, Head Teacher, Khor Malang Primary School:
“We struggled through our own means to find a few blackboards so that we could begin teaching the children. Many of the children have already dropped out because since February, they have been coming to school every day without any lessons taking place. They have also not seen any construction or any sign that this is a real school.”
7. Various shots, pupils writing
In the past, repeated cycles of violence in Wau forced tens of thousands of people to seek protection at a temporary site established by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Today, with support from UNMISS, UNMAS, and humanitarian partners, these families are starting over in Khor Malang, trying to rebuild a safer, more settled future. However, access to basic services like education remains a critical challenge for residents, as a visiting team from the UN Peacekeeping mission discovered firsthand.
SOUNDBITE (English) Blessing Juma, Student, Khor Malang Primary School:
“We don’t have school uniforms, scholastic materials, classrooms, or benches. We sit on the ground to learn, and even basic things like soap are a challenge for us.”
With the rainy season approaching, children at the Khor Malong settlement face the prospect of losing their only learning space, as classes currently take place under trees with little protection from rain or extreme weather.
SOUNDBITE (English) Asunta John, Teacher, Khor Malang Primary School:
“My appeal to organizations is: please help us educate our children. We are not asking for food; we understand that the budget for food rations has stopped. We are only asking for your support in providing a school for our children.”
Despite these difficulties, teachers continue to serve, often working for small incentives instead of regular salaries.
SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Runamu, Head Teacher, Khor Malang Primary School:
“We struggled through our own means to find a few blackboards so that we could begin teaching the children. Many of the children have already dropped out because since February, they have been coming to school every day without any lessons taking place. They have also not seen any construction or any sign that this is a real school.”
Since 2013, countless children in South Sudan have had their education interrupted. UNMISS continues to play an important role by helping create safer environments for vulnerable families, supporting civilian protection efforts, and working with humanitarian partners to improve access to essential services, including education, but significant gaps persist.
