South Sudan clashes block aid to thousands of malnourished children

According to two United Nations agencies, humanitarian aid has been unable to reach over 60,000 malnourished children in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State for nearly a month.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have warned that nutrition supplies are running dangerously low, with stocks expected to be depleted by the end of May. The reason? Clashes along the Nile River, the country’s most vital transport artery, have made it impossible for aid barges to safely deliver life-saving food and medical supplies.

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The fighting, reportedly between government forces and the ethnic Nuer militia known as the White Army, has turned humanitarian efforts into a logistical nightmare. In mid-April, 1,000 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies were forced to turn back due to insecurity. And with looting on the rise, agencies have been reluctant to pre-position supplies in health centers, fearing they will be stolen before they ever reach the children who need them.

South Sudan has been plagued by instability since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011. The country descended into a brutal civil war in 2013, pitting President Salva Kiir against his former deputy, Riek Machar. The conflict, which lasted five years, claimed over 400,000 lives and displaced millions. A fragile peace deal was signed in 2018, but tensions have remained high, with sporadic violence continuing to disrupt efforts to rebuild the nation.

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This isn’t just about tribal rivalries or political power struggles. It’s about neglect, greed, and a complete disregard for human life. The world watches, issues statements, and expresses “deep concern,” but where is the action? Where are the consequences for those who turn a blind eye while children waste away?

South Sudan is just another name on the long list of nations where warlords and politicians play chess with human lives. The question is, how many more children have to starve before the world stops watching and starts acting?

The aid is ready, the food is waiting, but the guns keep firing. And as usual, the ones who suffer most are the ones who had no say in the fight to begin with.