No News, Good News

I’ve spent the last five days in South Sudan, sweating my way through stiflingly hot, humid afternoons, waiting for rains that rush in on tempest winds and unleash the full force of the sky in torrential downpours.

I've been lucky to have a bit of time to adjust to the jet lag that has dogged me, a byproduct of humanity’s hubris – traveling halfway around the world in a steel tube while Disney’s Frozen plays itself out on a six by eight inch screen embedded in the seat back in front of you.

Training started unofficially with Psychological First Aid(PFA), a technique for first responders to a crisis or disaster situation. Much like physical first aid, PFA assesses needs and tries to create a safe space for victims. It is not counseling, just as first aid isn't surgery. Instead, it’s an attempt to staunch the bleeding and stabilize the individual for future healing.

The training has brought in several international staff new to the game as well as a few who have already spent several months in the field. We’re also joined by a handful of nationals, South Sudanese who are our links to other displaced persons through language, culture, and kinship.

A Good Time

I keep being told that I've ‘come at a good time.’ The rains are coming on, and for a few months at least, I’ll be battling mud and mosquitos more than sun and sand.

‘Good’ might be an overstatement though as far as work is concerned. The rainy season is coming on strong, and in only another month or so, much of the country will turn into a swampy mess. Roads flood, vehicles get stuck and break down, and incidences of malaria and water-borne diseases will rise drastically, not least in the numerous, overcrowded camps where we’ll be working.

This next month will also see some of the most intense conflict, as the opposing factions fight for land and control of key towns, bargaining chips for future negotiations. With one million or more already displaced, there will be no shortage of humanitarian need.

Indeed, the conflict has now been labeled a Level 3 humanitarian emergency, on par with the Central African Republic and Syria, which is why it has only recently landed on the international media’s radar, mercifully (I hope) displacing an extended search for a missing plane.

Safety and Security

Some have contacted me in the past few days because the recent violence has finally reached the threshold where it can be considered a ‘developing story.’

The past two weeks saw attacks and counterattacks on Bor and Bentiu, with dozens to several hundred killed. I’d just like to say that I am safe in Juba, and although there are always rumors that the rebels will make a move on the capital, I’ve been told that it is pretty unlikely at this point.

Though I will eventually ship out to a field site, and the dangers will be real, they are nothing compared to those faced by the vast majority of South Sudanese fleeing the fighting. We tend to think about bullets and bombs in conflict, but exponentially more people are killed by the hunger,disease, and lack of shelter that accompanies displacement.

What I’m trying to emphasize then is “Don’t worry about me,” and while I know that’s small consolation to those who hold me close to their hearts (here’s looking at you, family), it should also come as somewhat of a ray of light.

I have food. I have water. I have shelter. And for that, I am unbelievably lucky. More fortunate than many who have faced so much and have a long road back to normalcy, if that’s even a place that exists after civil war.

If you hear about an attack in the international media, you can rest assured that I’m fine. Because by the time it’s hit the airwaves back home, it’s already old news here. And if it’s been a while since you've heard from me or since I've last written, just tell yourself that no news is good news.