United Nations, April 2 The UN has praised the efforts of Indian peacekeepers deployed in South Sudan to reopen a critical supply route that had been disrupted by floods last year, emphasizing the "vital role" played by peacekeeping missions in assisting local communities.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that amidst these difficult times, there are some positive developments in South Sudan. "Our peacekeeping mission there (UNMISS) reports that Indian peacekeepers from the Engineering Unit have successfully reopened a key section of the Malakal-Renk main supply route, which had been closed since last year's floods, in the Upper Nile State," he said at the daily press briefing here on Thursday.
He said that the new road alignment, which involves reclaiming land from floodwaters to restore the road, will provide safer access, significantly improving mobility in the area and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need in local communities.
"These efforts also underscore the vital role that the peacekeeping mission plays in supporting stability and enabling critical assistance to reach vulnerable civilians in some of the most challenging environments," Dujarric said.
In a post on X, UNMISS said that the Indian peacekeepers reopened the key Malakal-Renk main supply route via New Paloich, which had been closed since last year's floods. A new road alignment through Akoka-Kilo 20-Paloich-Renk now provides safe access, enhancing mobility and humanitarian efforts in the region, UNMISS noted.
According to estimates by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, flooding in South Sudan last year had affected 1.35 million people across eight states, displacing nearly 375,600 people.
As of January 2026, India was the top troop contributing country to UNMISS with 1,779 personnel deployed with the peacekeeping mission.