New Zealand will help decide the fate of millions in South Sudan

New Zealand relief agencies are calling on the government of New Zealand to place the protection of civilians front and centre when it decides on the fate of millions of conflict-affected people in South Sudan in a key United Nations Security Council vote this week.

The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote Friday (12 August) to change the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The change would authorise a new military force composed of forces from the region to protect civilians and relief workers caught between warring factions of the Transitional Government of National unity, including those loyal to President Salva Kiir and those who have aligned with his former First Vice President, Riek Machar.

New Zealand is currently serving a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council. This means that New Zealand has a vote and a voice that it can use to support the delivery of life saving humanitarian assistance and protect the lives of millions of South Sudanese men, women, and children living at the heart of one of the world’s worst conflicts.

“We like to talk about New Zealand as a force for good in world affairs,” said Mark Mitchell, Chair of New Zealand’s humanitarian network, the NGO Disaster Relief Forum (NDRF). “This week in New York, New Zealand will help determine the fate of millions in one of the worst conflicts in the world today, as it casts its vote for to revise the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.”

This urgent decision comes to a head after fighting erupted in Juba last month. Hundreds have been killed, thousands displaced, and nearly 40,000 (37,491 on 26 July according to UNHCR) have sought refuge in neighboring Uganda. South Sudan’s peace deal is on the brink of collapse. Recently (August 7), both sides of the conflict agreed to accept the deployment of a regional protection force to protect civilians caught in the crossfire, particularly in the capital of Juba.
“We know from hard experience in the past that peacekeeping missions can succeed when they are trained and authorised to take decisive action on the ground to protect civilians and relief operations,” said Mitchell. “To do so they need clear mandates; they need constant political pressure on other countries in the region to advance the mission’s aims and not support more fighting; they need to be resourced with skilled individuals willing and capable of carrying out these complex tasks.”

New Zealand will be at the table when these vital issues are hammered out. New Zealand’s disaster relief agencies encourage the government to push South Sudan, Security Council members and participating states in the region to see that a new peacekeeping mission has the mandate, capacity and willingness to protect civilians. They also urge the New Zealand government to contribute financially to the relief effort. Prices are soaring because of their short supply, making many more people hungry. With better security, South Sudanese will be able to plant crops that are due to go in the ground this month. Safer access will ensure delivery of the goods people need to survive this war.
More support is desperately needed. The 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan for South Sudan is only 39 per cent funded. The New Zealand public can help South Sudan, by supporting New Zealand relief agencies delivering urgent food, shelter and protection assistance.

New Zealand agencies currently conducting or supporting relief efforts in South Sudan include:

· World Vision

· Caritas Aotearoa NZ

· Oxfam

· Christian World Service

· Tearfund

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