Waste Management support for Mahad Internally Displaced Persons Camp in South Sudan
Peace Winds is providing water supply and sanitation support to the Mahad Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Juba. Currently with a population of 7,752, the Mahad IDP camp was established after the Muslim community graciously provided a place to stay for the refugees of the civil war on the grounds of a school in the Mahad area. Peace Winds is the only organization currently providing water and sanitation support at this camp and we are working daily to improve access to safe water and sanitation. As part of this effort, in September 2019, we began collecting and disposing of trash and transporting it to the camp for disposal, in addition to the maintenance of water stations, bathing areas, shared toilets and hygiene promotion activities.
While the local government collects and disposes of garbage in Juba city, there is no government collection of garbage in the IDP camps.
Therefore, many people in the camp discard their garbage inside the camp or even in the Nile River close by without permission. This poses not only a sanitary risk but also causes environmental problems. This has led to many complaints from nearby locals who use the river water for cooking and washing. Nevertheless, there is still a need to dispose of the trash, and there have been reports of rape of women who go to dispose their rubbish quietly at night, away from the public eye.
In response to this situation, Peace Winds, in coordination with the camp management committee and other aid organizations, has decided to conduct regular garbage collection and transportation in the Mahad Internally Displaced Persons Camp. This has improved the sanitary environment in the camp, and the residents of the camp have happily told us, “We are happy that we no longer have to dispose of our garbage at night because it carries the risk of rape and other risks,” and “Thanks to Peace Winds, we now have a hygienic living environment in the camp.”
Peace Winds will continue its activities to improve the living conditions of the people living in the IDP camps in Mahad, as well as other people in South Sudan who are in need of assistance. Thank you very much for your support.