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Civilians increasingly leaving Bentiu protection site: IOM South Sudan

Residents of Bentiu Protection of Civilians site pictured on 15 February 2016 (UNMISS photo)
Residents of Bentiu Protection of Civilians site pictured on 15 February 2016 (UNMISS photo)

March 3, 2018 (JUBA) – The United Nations Migration agency, IOM, recorded in a recent report about the movement of population that civilians who leave the Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Bentiu are more important than those who arrive to the United Nations camp.

In a report covering the week of 16 – 22 February 2018, the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Unit of IOM South Sudan which is mandated to capture and monitor displacement and population movements, said 607 individuals were recorded entering and exiting.

DTM said 484 individuals left Bentiu PoC during the reporting period, confirming what it is noted about the movement of civilians in the previous weeks.

“While 60 percent intended to stay at their respective destinations for 4-6 months, 34 percent intended to stay for over 6 months. Family reunification was the most common reason for exit (38%) followed by education (13%)”.

The figures provided by the IOM unit allow the UN agencies particularly the humanitarian groups to have a better understanding of the movements and evolving needs of populations in the displacement sites.

It also serves as a measure of the security situation and level of troubles in the area.

The report said only 123 people arrived at the site and intend to remain for more than six months.

“Half of all tracked individuals entered to join their families and 19 percent cited food shortages. 41 percent arrived from Unity (mostly Rukona and Leer). 20% arrived from Sudan,” it explained.

Benitu Protection of Civilians (PoC) site, which was originally designed to accommodate 60,000 people, hosts, in fact, some 115,000 civilians who fled their homes in December 2013, when fighting erupted between government forces and opposition fighter.

Up to June 2016, some 36,000 left the camp as the UNMISS increased patrols and aid workers had access to the civilians. But after the resumption of the fighting in Juba in July 2016, the number of the site residents reached 120,000.

(ST)

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