UNITED NATIONS: Engineers from Pakistan serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have erected and maintained hundreds of kilometers of dykes, safeguarding approximately 300,000 residents of Bentiu, the capital of Unity state, from floodwaters, the Mission revealed on Wednesday.
Constructed in 2020 to combat the overflow from the swelling Nile River, these dykes have earned widespread praise from the local communities for their effectiveness in preventing flooding, which devastated the region.
Captain Taimoor Ahmad, a Flood Officer with the Pakistani engineering unit in Bentiu, highlighted the critical role played by the engineers, stating, “We may not be the ones saving people from bullets, but we are protecting them from floods.”
The constant surveillance and maintenance of these protective mud structures are essential for their effectiveness, emphasized by the UNMISS press release. For over three years, Pakistani ‘Blue Helmets’ have diligently worked to preserve these dykes, ensuring the safety of residents in the Bentiu Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Major Saad Sultan, a Pakistani operations officer, highlighted the unit’s commitment to their task, stating, “We monitor over 80 kilometers of dykes daily, ensuring the well-being of everyone here.”
Despite the challenges posed by climate disasters, food crises, and conflict, Captain Taimoor Ahmad reaffirmed his dedication to the cause, stating, “If I help build just one dyke, I’m indirectly saving hundreds or thousands. That makes all the hard work and sacrifice worth it.”
