The government of Netherlands has said it will continue to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan. The country’s Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation said this in Malakal while visiting the country this week.
Ms. Lilinne Ploumen spoke during a one-day visit with UN Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer, to assess the living conditions of more than 17,000 IDPs seeking shelter at the UNMISS base in Malakal, in Upper Nile.
The delegation visited a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic at the base, toured both the old and new protection-of-civilians sites and met the IDP Peace and Security Council members.
The Minister said her country would continue to assist the UN in improving the living conditions of IDPs in the country.
“The UN is doing everything they can to improve this situation and they are working hard,” she said. “We will continue to assist them with that.”
Mr. Lanzer described the visit as a very important one since Ms. Ploumen is the most senior humanitarian aid and development official in The Netherlands.
Meanwhile, two humanitarian organizations have said that the health care system in South Sudan has been overstretched in response to the challenges brought about by the violence that erupted in the country last December.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and South Sudan Red Cross say they have performed more than 2,600 operations since the outbreak of violence in December.
"Recent fighting in South Sudan has resulted in large numbers of people being wounded," said Franz Rauchenstein, head of the ICRC delegation in the country.
"The lack of security has caused many health workers to flee. There have also been reports of health workers being attacked or killed," said Kerry Page, an ICRC health programme coordinator in South Sudan.
They say that they have been forced to work in difficult circumstances because well-equipped medical facilities are either unavailable or damaged.
In Malakal, the IDP Peace and Security Council chairperson, Mathew Chol, reiterated the council’s commitment to fight tribalism within the protection site.
Ms. Ploumen and Mr. Lanzer also met with the acting State governor Awer Dau and visited the Malakal Teaching Hospital.
Mr. Dau assured them that his government would continue to work tirelessly to improve the security situation in the state.
“We are optimistic that the security situation will return to normal because, with the help of UNMISS, we are working very hard on that,” he said.
The government of Netherlands has said it will continue to assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan. The country’s Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation said this in Malakal while visiting the country this week.
Ms. Lilinne Ploumen spoke during a one-day visit with UN Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer, to assess the living conditions of more than 17,000 IDPs seeking shelter at the UNMISS base in Malakal, in Upper Nile.
The delegation visited a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) clinic at the base, toured both the old and new protection-of-civilians sites and met the IDP Peace and Security Council members.
The Minister said her country would continue to assist the UN in improving the living conditions of IDPs in the country.
“The UN is doing everything they can to improve this situation and they are working hard,” she said. “We will continue to assist them with that.”
Mr. Lanzer described the visit as a very important one since Ms. Ploumen is the most senior humanitarian aid and development official in The Netherlands.
Meanwhile, two humanitarian organizations have said that the health care system in South Sudan has been overstretched in response to the challenges brought about by the violence that erupted in the country last December.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and South Sudan Red Cross say they have performed more than 2,600 operations since the outbreak of violence in December.
"Recent fighting in South Sudan has resulted in large numbers of people being wounded," said Franz Rauchenstein, head of the ICRC delegation in the country.
"The lack of security has caused many health workers to flee. There have also been reports of health workers being attacked or killed," said Kerry Page, an ICRC health programme coordinator in South Sudan.
They say that they have been forced to work in difficult circumstances because well-equipped medical facilities are either unavailable or damaged.
In Malakal, the IDP Peace and Security Council chairperson, Mathew Chol, reiterated the council’s commitment to fight tribalism within the protection site.
Ms. Ploumen and Mr. Lanzer also met with the acting State governor Awer Dau and visited the Malakal Teaching Hospital.
Mr. Dau assured them that his government would continue to work tirelessly to improve the security situation in the state.
“We are optimistic that the security situation will return to normal because, with the help of UNMISS, we are working very hard on that,” he said.