Africa-Press – South-Sudan. At least 540 children have been separated from their families while fleeing escalating violence in northern parts of Jonglei State, raising alarm over growing child protection concerns in South Sudan, the UNICEF said Thursday.
Addressing the media in Juba on Thursday following an assessment visit to Northern Jonglei, the UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Ted Chaiban, said many children were separated from their families during the recent violence in Northern Jonglei, which displaced 286,000 civilians.
“We, as UNICEF, registered 540 unaccompanied children separated from their parents while fleeing,” Chaiban said.
He stated that the UN Children’s Fund is collaborating with a protection partner to reunite the children with their families, noting that some of their mothers were abducted by armed youth.
“In a situation of conflict, all parties have a responsibility under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, to protect the civilian infrastructure on which they depend,” he said.
“The women and children of South Sudan have done nothing to contribute to this escalation of violence, and yet they find themselves, many not for the first time, sometimes separated from their children without shelter, limited food, and no security.”
Chaiban reported that the conflict in Jonglei has led to the displacement of 286,000 individuals since the start of the year.
He noted that in Yuai, Uror, he witnessed that 6,000 civilians were displaced.
“In the last two months, it has expanded to 30,000, with another 25,000 in nearby villages along the Sobat River.”
He said they are seeking funding to scale support for children.
“We are working to provide mental health and psychosocial support to all the children impacted by the violence. UNICEF is responding to the crisis in Jonglei,” he said.
“We have delivered over 200 metric tons of supplies to date. These are non-food items, water, sanitation, hygiene supplies, nutrition, essential nutrition supplies to treat malnutrition, health supplies, and protection kits.”
He mentioned that they offered water, sanitation and hygiene solutions to prevent waterborne diseases and address cholera.
“We will also see what can be done about non-food items and dignity kits to address the needs of the displaced and families,” he said.
He said they will negotiate with local authorities to release abducted children during the recent violence in Northern Jonglei.
“We will look at the issue of tracing and reuniting children with their families as best we can, as well as negotiations led by local authorities to release abducted children, and we have sister agencies that are working on food distribution and the provision of shelter materials,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of enhancing the lives of children in South Sudan, emphasising that peace is essential for making progress.
“In addition, there needs to be sustained investment in social services led by the government and supported by external development partners.”
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