Since February, clashes in South Sudan have displaced 50,000 people amid tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar’s forces. An airstrike resulted in significant casualties, and a cholera outbreak is worsening the humanitarian crisis. The current violence jeopardizes the peace agreement and hinders vital humanitarian efforts.
Recently, over 50,000 individuals have been displaced in South Sudan due to ongoing clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. The United Nations reported that these conflicts, particularly in Nasir County of Upper Nile State, threaten the stability of an already precarious peace-sharing agreement established after years of civil war.
The violence is exacerbating the hardships faced by vulnerable communities and causing vital humanitarian services to be suspended. Anita Kiki Gbeho from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concerns regarding the humanitarian impact. A recent airstrike by the South Sudanese government resulted in 20 fatalities, including children, further compounding the crisis.
OCHA noted that approximately 10,000 of those displaced have fled to Ethiopia, prompting 23 humanitarian workers to exit the region, leading to the shutdown of a cholera treatment unit. Gbeho emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian access to those affected, particularly women, children, and the elderly.
Complicating the situation, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported 1,300 cholera cases in Akobo County, highlighting the urgent health crisis. The ongoing fighting jeopardizes the peace deal established in 2018, as tensions between Kiir’s and Machar’s factions continue to rise, with accusations of involvement from a local armed group known as the White Army. The situation escalated dramatically with an assault by about 6,000 White Army fighters on a military camp in Nasir, leading to military casualties in a failed rescue operation facilitated by the United Nations.
In summary, the recent clashes in South Sudan have resulted in the displacement of over 50,000 individuals, threatening humanitarian efforts and the fragile peace established after years of civil conflict. The situation remains critical as health crises, such as the cholera outbreak, arise amidst escalating violence and military involvement from various factions. Immediate access for humanitarian aid remains essential for the most vulnerable populations affected by these conflicts.
Original Source: www.wionews.com
