UNMISS Mine Action Supports the People of Upper Nile and Jonglei

This month DSRSG/RC/HC Ms. Sara Beysolow Nyanti is scheduled to visit the remote village of Canal, Jonglei where a community displaced by flooding, and seeing little alternative, resettled in a minefield. This visit will afford an opportunity to hear first-hand from community members about the impact of the mission’s recent mine action clearance on their daily lives, as well as to listen to what challenges they still face, such as food, shelter, medical, and security needs.

In March 2022, following on from several Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions delivered by UNMAS, Chief of Mine Action, Fran O’Grady visited Canal to assess how clearance activities could be undertaken, in what was a race against time to get mechanical demining machinery on a barge to the site before the onset of the wet season. Thankfully, this was achieved through solid team effort that resulted in the disposal of more than 25 anti-personnel mines and the clearance of over 17,000 sqm of land, making it safe for the 1,300 people to settle and undertake agricultural activities, as well as for safe access for humanitarian response.

Every year the Upper Nile and Jonglei regions of South Sudan face severe flooding, with the unprecedented rainfall in recent years compounding an already dire humanitarian situation leaving those displaced most vulnerable. As a mission component under UNMISS’ Protection and Development Pillar, UNMAS continues its activities with the shared goal of ensuring that the girls, boys, women and men of South Sudan can take safe steps on safe ground.