United Nations, Jan 14 (PTI) People in a South Sudanvillage have been saved a perilous neck-deep wade across ariver to reach a town and access basic services, thanks toIndian peacekeepers from the UN mission who have re-built akey bridge in record time in the strife-torn country.
The bridge in Akoka village in the northern part of theland-locked country in East-Central Africa had been inoperablesince last June when heavy rains washed away a 300-metre-longroad segment.
Rebuilt in record 10 days by the UN Mission in SouthSudan (UNMISS) in collaboration with the government, it hasgreatly benefited humanitarians, enabling faster aid deliveryas well as security patrol and outreach activities by theMission, according to a UN statement.
"The project was vital to allow other critical roadrepairs in the region," Lt Colonel Nishkam Puri, in-charge ofthe Indian engineering company that rebuilt the bridge, wasquoted as saying.
"The major challenge was reconstructing the bridgethrough a submerged area with a depth of up to 4 metres insome places," he said.
The Akoka Bridge lies between provincial capital Malakaland oil-rich Melut town on a major service road that alsoreaches Bunj and Renk, both in the country's northeasternpart.
"The road now provides access for life-saving food andsupplies to reach the people who need them," Ratomir Petrovic,a spokesperson for UNMISS, said.
"Providing for the basic needs of the most vulnerable isessential to empowering them. Initiatives such as this onedemonstrate the power of peacekeepers to make a realdifference in the lives of South Sudanese families," he added.
According to the Mission, the next phase is installingappropriate structures and marram to bolster the bridgeÂ’sstrength to withstand the next rainy season.
India, which has its 700 nationals living in South Sudan,has two battalions of about 2,000 personnel in the UNMISS,deployed in two of the largest states the country - Jongleiand Upper Nile, according to information on Ministry ofExternal Affairs website.
United Nations Peacekeeping, which began in 1948, wasprimarily limited to maintaining ceasefires and stabilisingsituations on the ground, providing crucial support forpolitical efforts to resolve conflict by peaceful means. PTIKIS AKJUZM.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.