The situation in South Sudan is becoming increasingly threatening for the population. The government is apparently preparing an attack on armed opposition units in the state of Jonglei. This raises fears of even more violence against the civilian population, even more displaced people and even more hunger and disease.
A new outbreak of fighting is apparently imminent in South Sudan. According to a report by the Evangelical Press Service UN experts have warned of an attack by government troops on armed opposition units in the state of Jonglei in eastern South Sudan. The population has been ordered to leave the affected region under threat of violence.
This threatens to further exacerbate the already difficult situation for the people of South Sudan. The deployment of numerous international organizations to provide urgently needed emergency humanitarian aid is already restricted and will be made even more impossible by further acts of war. Mission 21 can continue to provide support thanks to the presence of local partner organizations.
Hunger, poverty and disease on the rise
The war in neighboring Sudan to the north has already dramatically worsened the situation in South Sudan. South Sudan produces no food of its own and the people live largely from subsistence farming and imported goods from Sudan. Because of the war, food has become even more expensive and difficult to obtain.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Sudan and returning South Sudanese are exacerbating the scarcity of resources. A lack of security, hardly any medical care and a shortage of food and medicine characterize everyday life.
«We have firmly anchored humanitarian emergency aid in our work and try to support people as best we can.»
Dorina Waldmeyer, Program Manager South Sudan
Dorina Waldmeyer is Mission 21«s South Sudan Program Officer and is currently visiting South Sudanese* in the Kakuma refugee camp in neighbouring Kenya. She reports on the situation: »Clean drinking water is very scarce - in South Sudan, but also here in the refugee camp. That's why diseases such as cholera and even the dangerous Marburg virus are spreading. Children, women and old people are suffering. The children are particularly affected. They are often malnourished and suffer from diarrhea - and tragically, this is one of the most common causes of death among children here."
The need is immense. Especially in this dramatic situation, we are on the ground with humanitarian aid, trying to support the people as best we can - and urgently need donations for this in particular.
