THE DIARY FROM SOUTH SUDAN (4)

– Life in a tent and the Mangaten domestic refugee camp – [Original by Takaki IMAI, Manager for Humanitarian Assistance and Peace-Building Group (December 14, 2017); Translated by K. Adachi] The 8th day: 30th of November (Thursday) Obtained the certificate from South Sudan Relief Restoration Committee (RRC) for distribution of school supplies. The headquarters of RRC is located in the area of the ministries and government offices, such as treasury ministries, which stand in a row in the center of Juba. NGOs are required to receive the approval from RRC for every kind of “goods distribution” or “goods transport,” not only limited to emergency relief. However, RRC approval provides two…

Read more

THE DIARY FROM SOUTH SUDAN (3)

– Support of medical supplies such as medicines for malaria to the Gumbo clinic – [Original by Takaki IMAI, Manager for Humanitarian Assistance and Peace-Building Group (December 8, 2017); Translated by K. Adachi] I went to Juba in South Sudan on November 23, 2017, listened to the internally displaced people in refugee camps, and gave medical and educational aid. I will report the local situations and our activities in this series, “The Diary from South Sudan.” The 6th day: 28th of November (Tuesday) Support of medical supplies to the Gumbo clinic I went to the Gumbo clinic and had a meeting with Dr. Remo. We selected which medical supplies were…

Read more

THE DIARY FROM SOUTH SUDAN (2)

– Hearing in the Mangaten domestic refugee camp – [Original by Takaki IMAI Manager for Humanitarian Assistance and Peace-Building Group (December 6, 2017); Translated by K. Adachi] I went to Juba in South Sudan on November 23, 2017, listened to the internally displaced people in refugee camps, and gave medical and educational aid. I will report the local situations and our activities in this series, “The Diary from South Sudan.” In this post, I report the activities on the 3rd and the 5th day of the stay (the 4th day is skipped because it was a Sunday). The 3rd day: 25th of November (Saturday) At the Mangaten domestic refugee Camp…

Read more

THE DIARY FROM SOUTH SUDAN (1)

– People are still waiting for international aid – [Original by Takaki IMAI, Manager for Humanitarian Assistance and Peace-Building Group (December 5, 2017); Translated by K. Adachi] I went to Juba in South Sudan on November 23, 2017, listened to the internally displaced people in refugee camps, and gave medical and educational aid. I will report the local situations and our activities in this series, “The Diary from South Sudan.” The 1st day: 23rd of November (Thursday) Arrival in Juba When I got off the plane, local young guys who are not even airport staffs cut into around immigration counter for entry procedures and I was violently jostled. They appear…

Read more

WAR IN SOUTH SUDAN INTENSIFIED; IS IT RIGHT THAT SDF’S PKO KEEPS STATIONED?

[Original by Hiroshi TANIYAMA, JVC’s President (July 21, 2016); Translated by Y. Nakamura] Fierce battles happened in Juba, a capital of South Sudan, where Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) were dispatched under United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKO). More than 270 persons have been killed in gun battles which started on the 7th of this month. It is said that the actual number of civilian casualties was more than that. It produced more than 40,000 refugees. Food shops were looted, and transportation of goods was stopped by inspection. They were worried about food shortage. Both opposing parties, president’s supporters and vice-president’s, issued an order of cease-fire. However, there is still some possibility…

Read more

A lot of problems in “Kaketsuke-Keigo” by the Self-Defense Forces in South Sudan

[Original by Hiroshi TANIYAMA, JVC’s President (February 5, 2016); Translated by Y. Nakamura] President Taniyama joined JVC in 1986 and has conducted activities in many local sites overseas. About the current issues around the world that should not be ignored, he is speaking specifically from a viewpoint of a NGO for international cooperation, which is familiar with the reality overseas. (Hiroshi Taniyama, JVC’s president, had been assigned to reside in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Afghanistan for twelve years in total. Besides being the president of JVC, he is also the chairman of JANIC, one of the most influential NGO for international cooperation with the type of networking in Japan, and…

Read more