“At this difficult time when people across many parts of South Sudan are struggling to cope with flooding, I want to express my appreciation to the humanitarian community and Government for the response efforts so far,” the Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Chris Nikoi, said.

Nikoi said the response will continue as new areas are accessed with partners overcoming massive challenges.  “Food, household materials, water and sanitation and medical assistance are being transported by any available means,” he stated, noting that 60 per cent of roads have become impassable, with many flooded areas only accessible by air, making humanitarian response expensive.

Media reports say that the Government estimates that about 37,000 households were affected by the floods, with Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states reportedly worst hit.

“Humanitarians appreciate the Government’s leadership and proactive efforts in responding to the needs of flood-affected people across the country, including the establishment of a flood response fund and task force at national level,” said Nikoi.

“This commitment will help complement efforts to ease the suffering of flood-affected people.”

Fighting between Government forces and armed groups in Jonglei has displaced thousands of civilians since January. The UN and its partners have had access to most of the 1.5 million people in the area, but were unable until this week to reach a couple of the villages from which people fled and were hiding in the bush.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, said that expanded access for aid agencies in Pibor County has allowed for the assessment of the needs of up to 25,000 civilians who have fled recent fighting.

“I am particularly concerned that some children show signs of measles, a fatal disease in such conditions,” he said in a statement.

UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have a joint team on the ground and are providing medical assistance, water purification tablets and plastic sheeting.

“Civilians stranded in the bush need not only peace and security, but also freedom of movement so that they can access services,” he added. “Basic services can be provided by humanitarian organizations, assuming that all parties ensure unhindered and continuous access, as well as an environment which is safe and welcoming for non-governmental organizations and UN agencies.”

Lanzer had called the access gained earlier this week a “significant breakthrough.” With the rainy season started and expected to last through December, the basic concerns of the families in the area are staying dry and warm, food and medical needs.

South Sudan, which marked its second independence anniversary earlier this month, has been plagued by sporadic ethnic violence as well as a border conflict with Sudan.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the Council noted UNMISS’ priority task of protecting civilians, and urged the Mission to “deploy its assets accordingly.”

The Council welcomed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s intention that “UNMISS will geographically reconfigure its military and asset deployment so as to focus on volatile high-risk areas and associated protection requirements.”

In his recent report on South Sudan, Ban wrote that while UNMISS continues to focus on the protection of civilians as one of its core tasks, the primary responsibility for the protection of civilians in South Sudan lies with the Government.

“A peacekeeping mission, however configured, cannot replace the Government, which is also responsible for ensuring the safety and security, and freedom of movement, of United Nations personnel and assets deployed to assist it in this regard,” he stated.

Ban reiterated his condemnation of violence against UN personnel in South Sudan and recalled the requirement for the Government to hold the perpetrators of those attacks accountable, irrespective of who the perpetrators are.

He added that, in particular, those responsible in the Sudan People’s Liberation Army for the December 2012 shooting of an UNMISS helicopter – which killed all four crew members onboard – must be brought to justice immediately.

The Council today reiterated its call on the Government of South Sudan to take greater responsibility for the protection of its civilians and in this respect encourages greater cooperation with UNMISS.

It also demanded that the Government and all relevant parties cooperate fully in the deployment, operations, and monitoring, verification, and reporting functions of UNMISS, particularly by guaranteeing the safety, security and unrestricted freedom of movement of UN personnel, as well as of associated personnel throughout the country.

Among its many other provisions, the resolution expressed deep concern at the increasing violence, particularly in the Tri-States Area of Lakes, Unity and Warrap, and in Jonglei and Western Bahr el-Ghazal states, and underlined the need to address the causes of communal violence in South Sudan.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is particularly alarmed by reports about the involvement in some of the incidents of “allegedly defected and ill-disciplined members of security forces,” as well as by statements issued by David Yau Yau’s led armed group demanding civilians to leave Pibor as well as the town of Kapoeta, in Eastern Equatoria state.

In addition to the “significant displacement of the civilian population out of Pibor,” the Mission said in a news release that it had also received reports of widespread looting of civilian dwellings and humanitarian organization premises.

The looting of food and other relief supplies is of great concern, especially given the upcoming rainy season in Jonglei, according to UNMISS spokesperson Ariane Quentier.

“This food that is pre-positioned is meant to be used in the coming months when roads will be impassable and when civilians will be in need of food to be able to survive,” she said in an interview with UN Radio.

“We want the Government to take action against the perpetrators of the violence that has been going on and make sure that those people are held to account… We have demanded that a number of measures be taken.”

The Mission noted that the Government of South Sudan has the primary responsibility to protect the population. “UNMISS calls on the civilian and military authorities, at the national, Jonglei state and Pibor County levels, to immediately take control of the situation, take action against any perpetrators and hold them to account.”

UNMISS, whose troops were already patrolling Pibor town before the looting started, has reinforced its presence there with additional troops and has deployed a military unit to protect pre-positioned food stocks. UNMISS peacekeepers also have clear instructions to assist in protecting the civilian population in Pibor.

In a similar statement yesterday, the Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Yasmin Haque, said she was “alarmed” that once again, civilians from Pibor town have fled for their safety in large numbers. “I am also gravely concerned about the widespread looting of civilian property and humanitarian supplies witnessed by aid workers over recent days,” she added.

Dr. Haque said aid organizations had seen armed, uniformed personnel taking apart homes and breaking into small shops where those who fled the town had placed belongings for safekeeping.

“Food and household items, including nutritional supplements for malnourished children, were stolen from humanitarian common storage facilities, just a few hundred metres away from the town’s military barracks and county commissioner’s offices,” she said.

“We have been told by some of our NGO (non-governmental organization) colleagues that their compounds were completely looted, and that everything inside – even fixtures like solar panels – have been taken,” she added.

Condemning the incidents, Dr. Haque said such attacks against humanitarian facilities made it harder to provide live-saving assistance to people affected by hostilities. Humanitarian organizations had been forced to relocate their staff and “only a handful of aid workers” remained in Pibor.

“The humanitarian community stands ready to provide neutral and impartial assistance to all civilians in need,” she stated. “This can only happen if all parties respect and facilitate humanitarian activities, in line with their obligations under national and international law.”

“The situation in Jonglei state remains a source of major concern and presents complex challenges for both UNMISS and the Government,” said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Hilde F. Johnson, referring to the UN Mission in South Sudan, which she heads.

The eastern state of Jonglei is the largest in South Sudan and has been the scene of inter-communal violence since the country became independent from Sudan in July 2011. Recent weeks have seen an increase in heavy fighting between national authorities and David Yau Yau’s armed groups.

“The Government remains committed to finding a peaceful solution,” Johnson said, but cautioned that “the window for dialogue is closing and that military operations may soon be launched.”

She added that while the Government has committed to protect civilians during its operations, people could be caught in the crossfire.

In case of potential fighting, UNMISS has developed contingency plans, including strengthening its troop presence, increasing civilian-military patrols to identify potential attacks and continuing to engage with vulnerable communities, Johnson said.

She also told the 15-member Council that the UN’s operational environment “has become more challenging due to a number of grave violations” to the agreement between the UN and South Sudan.

The most egregious of these violations, Johnson said, was the 21 December 2012 shooting of an UNMISS helicopter which resulted in the killing of four Russian crew members.

“We have engaged the Government on this matter at the highest levels to urge a swift and transparent investigation,” Johnson said, in accordance with international civil aviation rules.

In addition, a UN peacekeeper on patrol was attacked last week by an unidentified armed group in Jonglei and has been medically evacuated.

The Special Representative also warned about the continuing proliferation of weapons in South Sudan which has “serious implications” for regional security and stability, as well as civilian communities in the country.

She added that the country remains afflicted by internal security and political fault-lines, which continue to render it fragile and which has potential spill over effects.

“Every effort to mitigate that risk and keep South Sudan on a path to stability and prosperity will contribute to the stability of the whole region,” she told the Council meeting.

The peacekeeper was wounded when an unidentified armed group fired on an UNMISS patrol that was moving from Gurmuk to Pibor, UN spokesperson Eduardo del Buey told a news conference in New York.

“The peacekeeper has been evacuated to Juba for further medical treatment. His situation is stable,” he stated.

“The Mission strongly condemns this attack against its personnel and calls on all parties to respect the freedom of movement of UN personnel carrying out their mandate and to cooperate with the peacekeepers in their efforts to protect civilians and help establish a stable security environment in Jonglei state.”

Jonglei is the largest state in South Sudan and has been the scene of inter-communal violence since the country became independent from Sudan in July 2011.

The UN Security Council set up UNMISS in July 2011 to consolidate peace and security, and help to establish conditions for development in the world’s youngest nation.

The largest number of cases and suspected cases, almost 70 per cent, is in the Yusuf Batil camp in Upper Nile state which holds 37,229 refugees, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Other camps in Upper Nile state – Jamam, Gendrassa and Doro – have recorded nearly 2,000 cases and 30 deaths. Further west, in Unity state, 125 cases or suspected cases and four deaths have been recorded at the Yida site, which, with a population of 65,541 people, holds the largest number of refugees in South Sudan.

“The majority of refugees in camps where the disease is most widespread are from Blue Nile state, an isolated rural area in Sudan where there are few established toilet facilities and uncontaminated water is not readily available,” said UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards.

“UNHCR believes the growth in the population due to the refugee influx from Blue Nile could be one of the factors in the rapid spread of the disease,” he told reporters in Geneva.

The risk of being infected with Hepatitis E – for which there is no treatment or vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) – can be dramatically reduced by washing hands with soap, especially after using the toilet, drinking clean water, using latrines, and avoiding eating uncooked fruits and vegetables. Hepatitis E is a virus that damages the liver, and is transmitted by consuming contaminated food or water.

UNHCR said emergency measures are being taken to curb the increase, with about 70 per cent of the 701 latrines under construction in Yusuf Batil completed and the remainder expected to be operating by this weekend. In the Doro Camp region, 65 per cent of the 323 latrines being built in the most affected areas around the Jumjum and Ingasana villages have been completed so far. Soap distributions are also being carried out, in addition to enhanced disease surveillance and water chlorination.

There are currently 112,981 Sudanese refugees in South Sudan’s Upper Nile and Unity states, according to UNHCR.

The $612,000 programme, which will be implemented with the support of France and South Sudan’s ministry of agriculture, will target several states for one year, training farmers in the production, storage and marketing of quality seeds and cuttings of staple crops such as maize, cassava, cowpeas and sorghum.

“The importance of seeds to the food security and livelihoods of South Sudan’s farmers and rural communities is very high,” said the head of the Food and Agriculture (FAO) office in Juba, Sue Lautze. “Despite widespread food insecurity, the country is committed to ensuring food security for all, as soon as possible. Seeds are a critical component to realizing this important ambition.”

According to FAO, decades of conflict and displacement have taken their toll on farmers’ access to quality seeds and other planting materials, and eroded their knowledge of seed production techniques, which undermine crop productivity.

Today, more than 90 per cent of South Sudanese farmers still depend on the informal seed system, which is based primarily on saved seeds, social networks, and local markets. Typically, farmers use saved seeds from one season to the next, which lessens the genetic purity of the seed.

The programme will increase the availability and quality of seeds to South Sudan’s most vulnerable farmers in the states of Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Lakes, Western Bahr el Ghazal and Northern Bahr el Ghazal. It will also provide assistance to 400 seed producers.

“Through the project, FAO aims to not only reduce the number of households affected by food insecurity through improving the availability and access of locally produced quality seed on the market, but also aims to improve the incomes and capacity of seed producers,” said the Project Officer with FAO South Sudan, Joseph Okidi.

The project will include seed fairs, capacity development for seed enterprises, and training for farmers. It will also increase the amount of land dedicated to quality-seed multiplication, which is currently very limited.

In 2011, FAO and France implemented a similar programme in South Sudan, which led to the production of more than 350 tons of quality seeds and planting materials, and injected some $300,000 into the local economy. With the new programme, the agency is hoping to build on the previous success.

The shooting down yesterday of a United Nations helicopter near Likuangole, in Jonglei state of South Sudan by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was condemned by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who called for those responsible to be held to account, his spokesperson said today.

The Russian-crewed MI-8 helicopter, part of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), had been on a on a reconnaissance flight at around 10:00 a.m. local time over the settlement of Likuangole, in the eastern state of Jonglei. The reconnaissance was related to efforts to identify suitable landing places to facilitate the protection of civilians work in the state. There were no passengers onboard.

The members of the Security Council also responded to the incident, which they “strongly deplored” in a press statement issued late Friday: “They stressed that this accident constituted a grave violation of the Status of Forces Agreement of August 8, 2011 and jeopardized the UNMISS operations,” the statement added. “They strongly urged the UNMISS and the Government of South Sudan to conduct a swift and thorough investigation of the accident.”

UNMISS has begun an investigation to establish the circumstances around the incident. The Mission had immediately launched a search and recovery operation, which confirmed the death of all four crew members.

“The Secretary-General calls on the Government of South Sudan to immediately carry out an investigation and bring to account those responsible for this act,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said.

“In light also of previous incidents,” he added, “the Secretary-General demands that the Government of South Sudan urgently puts in place reinforced measures within the SPLA to ensure that no such event may reoccur in the future.”

In their press statement, the members of the Security Council echoed the Secretary-General on these points, as well as in expressing “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the four crew members and to the Russian Federation. UNMISS expressed similar sentiments in an earlier statement.

The National Museum aims to tell the story of South Sudan and its people. Therefore, as many people as possible will be consulted to provide their inputs and ideas on how this story should be told.

The experts, from the British group Metaphor, will give public lectures at universities, organize workshops with high school youth, hold meetings with government and parliament officials, and conduct field visits. There will also be social media platforms to engage young people and especially the large number of South Sudanese living abroad.

The absence of a traditional arts collection, combined with the unique historic context of South Sudan and the role that the National Museum is to play as a symbol of nationhood and democracy, requires the conceptual design of the National Museum to precede any planning of the construction and development of the institution.

South Sudan became the world’s newest country in July 2011 after decades of nearly continuous conflict. . Understanding and promoting the country’s rich diversity represents a key part of the solution as well as one of its main challenges. Culture lies at the basis of sustainable peace and development in South Sudan.

The young Government of South Sudan is working towards fostering a national identity that respects its diversity, which will be among the key requirements for sustaining peace and social stability.

Significant progress has been made in recent years, but South Sudan remains one of the most under-developed countries in the world and the government is facing one of the largest capacity gaps with over half of its civil servants having completed primary education. State-level institutions, capacities and relevant policies need to be built, including in r the culture sector, which has currently no institutions or policies in place.

South Sudan’s first National Museum will be created taking into account the country’s development challenges at all levels. It will be accessible to a population (73% of which is illiterate) and will feature an outreach programme that allows for the participation of even the most remote communities in the country. The building will take into account South Sudan’s energy restraints, and the need to use sustainable building technologies.

According to an UNESCO announcement, the potential of the first National Museum is an important -and neglected- resource in the construction of South Sudan; not only embodied in its intrinsic link with the culture and history of the country, but also in the institution’s potential contribution tto promoting education and life-long learning as well as a participatory and democratic society. A museum that tells stories and teaches history through objects, sound recordings, written texts and video images; a museum about South Sudan’s people, about the different cultures and communities, the customs and traditions, the refugees, returnees and diaspora, the young and the old, the women and the men; a museum about arts, crafts and cultural expressions

It is hoped that the National Museum of South Sudan will be a place where South Sudan’s people, their culture and their history are presented in an innovative and interactive manner. It will be a place for learning – about South Sudan, its culture and heritage, the struggle for independence, and the creation of a new state. It will provide an opportunity to move beyond an identity based on independence and conflict alone, by highlighting the rich heritage of its people. As such, the National Museum will need to be designed as an interactive educational institution, reflecting South Sudan’s rich cultural diversity.