IDPs in Aburoc fetches water from a well. File photo/UNMISS/Janet Adongo

The Internally Displaced Persons at the UN protection site in Juba have raised complaints about the shortages of water in the camp.

They say this is making it difficult to practice hand-washing against the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, the IDPs said they have been denied from leaving the camp by security personnel deployed in the area.

The soldiers are reportedly implementing measures to control the spread of the virus as authorized by the government although the army denied deployments around the PoCs.

A representative of the IDPs in the UN camp in Juba, Majok Yen says the restrictions have deterred water tankers from entering the PoC sites.

Speaking to Eye Radio, the camp chairman, Joseph Matik Chol appealed to the government and NGOs to provide adequate water in the camps.

“Our major challenge here in the PoC three and PoC One is the lack of water,” Chol said on Monday.

“You can tell people to wash their hands but water is very scarce so I would appeal to the people concerned to bring us enough water so that these preventive measures like washing your hands will e followed.”

Another displaced person revealed that fighting over water points has led to several injuries in the PoCs.

“When they bring us this little water, it’s not enough for us and now our children are losing their ears and us mothers are losing our teeth and others are left with broken arms. This is all because of fighting over the little water,” Nyayor Lam said.

For Nyakir Yieth, social distancing as a preventive measure against the coronavirus disease is not applicable in the PoCs as women crowd every day to get water for domestic use.