New Amaki Bridge Brings Safer Journeys and Fresh Hope to Maridi

The bridge is already changing how quickly residents can reach healthcare, which can make a critical difference for pregnant women experiencing complications during labour.

For families in Amaki Boma, a simple journey to a hospital, classroom or market once depended heavily on the weather. The waterway separating the community from essential services became especially dangerous during the rainy season, when rising water made crossing difficult for pedestrians and nearly impossible for motorcycles. A newly constructed bridge funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is now giving residents a safer route and bringing services, livelihoods and neighbouring communities within easier reach.

A safer route to urgent medical care

The bridge is already changing how quickly residents can reach healthcare, which can make a critical difference for pregnant women experiencing complications during labour. Yomima Amuna, a resident of Amaki Boma, said women can now be transported to hospital more quickly, while ambulances have a reliable route into the community when immediate assistance is needed. Before the crossing was improved, high water levels could delay urgent journeys and place patients at even greater risk during medical emergencies.

The safer passage also reduces the danger faced by residents who previously had to wade through the water or attempt the crossing on motorcycles. Stanley Joseph, the area chief of Amaki Boma, recalled how motorcycles became stuck, and their engines were sometimes submerged, leaving travellers stranded in hazardous conditions. He believes the bridge will help prevent drownings and give residents greater confidence when travelling during periods of heavy rainfall.

Farmers gain a stronger connection to larger markets

Improved access is opening valuable opportunities for farmers who struggled to carry their crops beyond the local area. Difficult road conditions once forced many producers to sell nearby, limiting the number of customers they could reach and reducing their chances of securing better prices. The bridge now allows agricultural goods to be transported to larger markets, giving farming households more options for earning income and supporting their families.

Residents and traders are expected to travel more easily between Amaki Boma, Maridi town, Mvolo County and other surrounding areas. This stronger connection could encourage local trade, improve the movement of supplies and help small businesses serve customers across a wider area. Children travelling to school and families seeking everyday goods will also benefit from a route that remains safer and more dependable when the rains arrive.

A bridge supporting protection, peace and community resilience

The crossing has an important role in the work of UNMISS, allowing peacekeepers to reach remote and conflict-affected communities more easily. UNMISS representative Bazawi Thomas Felix explained that improved access helps the mission support the government in protecting civilians and carrying out peace-related engagements. Reliable roads and bridges allow patrols, community outreach teams and peacebuilding partners to respond more effectively in places that were previously difficult to reach.

The Amaki Bridge forms part of the mission's quick impact projects, which provide practical improvements that respond directly to community needs. For the people of Amaki Boma, the structure is more than a physical connection across a dangerous waterway. It offers pregnant women a safer journey to medical care, gives farmers a route to better markets, protects travellers from drowning and strengthens links between communities that depend on one another.