Children of Bentiu
Thousands of families had lost their homes and were forced to live in displacement camps, with few services and minimum security by the UN mission. However, the infighting dragged on; and the killing did not stop. Starvation was the headline. Residents in displacement camps queued up in long lines under the scorching sun for hours to get their hands on the scant relief aid. Children ran towards us asking for help in a heartbreaking scene. Others took shelter in shacks they made of hay, tree branches and mud.
A total of five displacement camps were set up within the so-called UN protection of civilian sites across four cities: Juba, Bor, Malakal and Bentiu. These camps were home to more than 180,000 people, all of whom had fled the war. The Bentiu Camp alone housed more than 111,000 displaced persons; and therefore the aid delivered by relief agencies was not sufficient. The food rations handed out every month were to be shared by more than one family. Some families were made up of eight members.
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