SOUTH SUDAN-FIGHTING/ONE YEAR ON Famine stalks South Sudan's displaced population after a year of conflict

Record ID: 375790

  • Title: SOUTH SUDAN-FIGHTING/ONE YEAR ON Famine stalks South Sudan's displaced population after a year of conflict
  • Date: 14th December 2014
  • Summary: JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN (DECEMBER 16, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEN LOOKING AT ONCOMING TANKS, MEN WAVING, TANKS DRIVING PAST MALAKAL, SOUTH SUDAN (JANUARY 21, 2014) (REUTERS) BURNED OUT BUILDING BURNED OUT BUILDING AND DEBRIS ON THE GROUND SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY (SPLA) SOLDIERS WAITING AT MALAKAL AIRPORT SPLA SOLDIERS STANDING WITH THEIR WEAPONS ARMED SPLA SOLDIERS LEA
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Sudan
  • Country: South Sudan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6USPTHYLUW24S5SXOAPIKPGN0
  • Story Text: Monday (December 15) will mark one year since the beginning of the current crisis in the world's newest nation South Sudan.
    Fighting erupted on the 15th December 2013 in South Sudan, which declared independence from Sudan in 2011, after months of political tension between President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy and rival, Riek Machar.
    Since then, nearly 2 million people have been internally displaced and have fled to the neighbouring countries.
    Those still in the country are dealing with unprecedented hardships with basic necessities like food, water and healthcare continually affected.
    "The massive needs are essentially very basic needs: food needs, clean drinkable water, provision of health needs and need for families who need to be reconnected with one another, and also protecting the children during these hard times," Franz Rauchenstein, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in South Sudan, said.
    ICRC's mobile surgical teams have performed more than 3,000 surgeries. ICRC surgeon Nikolai Dmitriev spoke of the challenges he and his staff face on a daily basis.
    "The influx of the patients, it's unpredictable. Today we have only one patient, tomorrow we can get 100 patients. Under this permanent fighting they need our help in fact even more; apart from this fresh injury, people, we have a lot of people who is suffering because of gunshots which they got several months ago or three or four months ago. Mostly this is very complicated cases," he said.
    Mary Nyakola Thoat is one of many struggling with life in South Sudan. As she describes it, life in this young nation remains precarious.
    "I find it difficult (regarding the situation) because there is no food and people before were transporting food from Bor to here, but when fighting broke out there was no more food coming from Bor. When we arrived, people were going to the bush to collect leaves of trees and fruits. We collected these leaves and then we ate them," she said.
    Since the beginning of the crisis the ICRC, in collaboration with the South Sudan Red Cross, has delivered food to more than 600,000 people.
    The civil war has killed more than 10,000 people in the world's newest state, reopened deep fault lines among ethnic groups.
    Among the uprooted are around 1 million children.
    Peace talks brokered by African regional group IGAD have yet to reach a deal.
    A ceasefire signed in January has been broken frequently and peace talks have often stalled. The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on commanders on both sides.
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