Over 8 million people in dire need of aid – OCHA

At least 8.3 million people across the country are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) report has revealed.

The report said the humanitarian needs in South Sudan continue to grow due to multiple shocks, including recurring violence, the ongoing impacts of the third consecutive year of flooding, and public health challenges mainly caused by the  COVID-19 pandemic.

The humanitarian situation is said to be dire in Unity State, which has been severely affected by floods since 2021. Here, there are physical access challenges impacting the prepositioning of humanitarian supplies.

The report also faulted sub-national conflict among communities for the worsening humanitarian situation in some parts of the country.

It highlights that last month’s fighting between armed factions in Lainya County, in Central Equatoria State, displaced approximately 13,300 people. Meanwhile, in Bor South County in Jonglei, sub-national violence displaced over 7,000 people, with at least 32 civilian casualties.

The report also said over 3,500 people, primarily women, children, and elderly people, had been forced to flee Kapoeta East to Kapoeta North County, Eastern Equatoria due to hunger. Whereas there are still  3,000 IDPs in Ezo County who were displaced last year from Tombura County, in Western Equatoria.

An armed attack in Aweil East County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, displaced 2,600 households and approximately 15,600 people. In Pibor County, Greater Pibor Administrative Area, inter-communal violence displaced some 600 people.

The humanitarian report stated that the migration of cattle in parts of Central and Eastern Equatoria, and Western Bahr el Ghazal have triggered tensions between the cattle keepers and mainly the agrarian host communities.

Since April 2020, 16,794 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in South Sudan, with 137 deaths recorded.