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SOUTH SUDAN / BENTIU FLOOD PROTECTION 12 JUN 26
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / BENTIU FLOOD PROTECTION
TRT: 02:37
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 JUNE 2026, BENTIU, UPPER NILE STATE, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, Pakistani Peacekeepers inspecting dike
2. Various shots, women walking on dike carrying bushels
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hamza Shahbaz Janjua, Captain, Operations Officer, Pakistan Battalion:
“The most difficult part is to operate under continuous flood pressure – with the water level rising day by day – while knowing that the safety of these local populations depends on these dykes.”
4. Zoom in, Pakistani Mechanic shop
5. Various shots, Pakistani mechanic working on grader
6. Various shots, heavy equipment
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Syed Shadab Ali Shah, Major, Chief Mechanic, Pakistan Battalion:
“The day over here is quite complex and demanding. We start early in the morning at 5:30. We start with early inspections, daily inspections, once the equipment is moving out for dyke maintenance and runway support and dewatering operations and operational tasks. Throughout the day we have repairs and daily continuous maintenance for that – and the day is extended till night. There is no day and night. It is continuous 24/7. All the vehicles are on a roll.”
8. Various shots, water and dike being measured
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Amber Asif, Captain, Engineer, Pakistan Battalion:
“Yes, me and my colleagues are ready for the rainy season. We are measuring the water levels daily and monitoring the current height of all the dykes. So, if we have to increase the height of the dykes with the increase in the water level, we will be planning and doing it before-hand.”
10. Various shots, UN excavator being used to fix dike
In Bentiu, peacekeepers from the Pakistan Military Engineering Task Force, serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), are working round the clock to reinforce a series of dykes and berms that protect 300,000 civilians, critical infrastructure, and the main portals for the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid.
Although the rainy season has just begun, the waters that surround Bentiu from several years of extraordinary flooding are already at a level not seen since 2022 – the peak of the floods.
This poses a fresh threat to families who lost their homes during earlier floods and now live in one of the largest camps for displaced people in South Sudan, protected only by earthen walls and peacekeepers.
Captain Hamza Shahbaz Janjua, Pakistan Battalion Operations Officer, said, “The most difficult part is to operate under continuous flood pressure – with the water level rising day by day – while knowing that the safety of these local populations depends on these dykes.”
Almost 5,400 square kilometres of land has already been overwhelmed by water.
The remaining slivers of safe land would also disappear if it wasn’t for the network of dykes, which must be continually monitored and reinforced. A lot of this work is done using vehicles and technical equipment.
Like the peacekeeping engineers themselves, these machines are operating round the clock, and they too go through a lot of wear and tear and require constant maintenance.
Major Syed Shadab Ali Shah, Pakistan Battalion Chief Mechanic, said, “The day over here is quite complex and demanding. We start early in the morning at 5:30. We start with early inspections, daily inspections, once the equipment is moving out for dyke maintenance and runway support and dewatering operations and operational tasks. Throughout the day we have repairs and daily continuous maintenance for that – and the day is extended till night. There is no day and night. It is continuous 24/7. All the vehicles are on a roll.”
This work takes a toll on the men, women and the machines.
The peacekeepers try to adapt to the challenges by working in shifts and supporting each other while serving in Bentiu, almost 5,000 kilometres from their home in Pakistan.
Their expertise and experience ensure they can handle the pressure and take proactive measures to prevent the worst.
Capt. Amber Asif, Engineer, Pakistan Battalion, said, “Yes, me and my colleagues are ready for the rainy season. We are measuring the water levels daily and monitoring the current height of all the dykes. So, if we have to increase the height of the dykes with the increase in the water level, we will be planning and doing it before-hand.”
Through vigilance, hard work and sheer determination, these peacekeepers will continue to do their utmost to protect and support those they serve.
