Latest news with #UpperNile
Zawya
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Zawya
South Sudan: Thousands unite at a peace concert in Malakal, calling for an end to conflict
This year has been harder than usual for communities in South Sudan's Upper Nile state, as soaring conflict has led to deaths, displacement and widespread security issues. But, when the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the state government and UNESCO, decided to leverage the power of music to unite divided communities, by hosting a concert in Malakal, the state capital, the first stirring of hope was evident. Coming from different parts of the town and its outskirts, including from the UN Protection of Civilians site adjacent to the peacekeeping mission's base here, more than 2,500 people walked many miles to reach the venue—Malakal Stadium. The star attraction, of course, was the headline act— Emmanuel Kembe, a renowned South Sudanese musician. His soaring vocals ensured those in attendance were enthralled, enjoying a respite from tensions and rediscovering the power of their shared identity. As the crowd sang along to peace lyrics and danced to thumping percussive beats, Mr Kembe cemented his popularity by articulating the hope shared by many for a successful transition into democracy and development through the holding of the country's long-delayed elections. 'It would be good if elections finally take place in 2026 because our people want to vote, they want peace and development.' Government officials, too, reiterated their commitment to fostering peace in Upper Nile. 'We have a clear plan for every citizen in the state to live freely and thrive in a secure environment. We are working to restore peace,' said Deng Joh Angok, Acting Governor. Local singers and traditional dancers livened up this large-scale gathering as well. 'This is a wonderful opportunity for all Malakal residents to gather in joy and unity,' stated Achol Jock Lul, artist and women's rights activist. 'It is proof that all South Sudanese can live in harmony!' As the music continued, every community member at the concert, swaying to a single rhythm provided a glimpse into the continued potential for sustained peace in this troubled young country. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Zawya
19-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
South Sudan: Free medical care by Indian peacekeepers gives hope to over 300 displaced people
As security concerns continue in parts of Upper Nile state, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is making every effort to protect civilians and boost community confidence. As an example—Blue Helmets from India hosted a two-day medical outreach at the UN Protection of Civilians site, adjacent to the Mission's base in Malakal where some 315 displaced people received free treatment. Patients suffering from various ailments were diagnosed and provided with care options. For Dr. Sandeep Ravi, a medical peacekeeper, such interventions lie at the heart of the UN Peacekeeping mission's mandate to help build lasting peace in this country. 'Accessible and inclusive healthcare is key for communities to thrive. Across Upper Nile state, conflict has disrupted not only people's lives and livelihoods but also reduced the number of available health facilities. So, we decided to come together and, for a limited time, bridge this gap as much as possible,' he explained. 'Bringing quality healthcare directly to communities goes beyond free consultations and treatment. It gives hope to people who are most vulnerable.' Mary Joseph, a 20-year-old patient, can testify to Dr Ravi's opinion. 'I've had a problem with my leg for three months now but had no money to pay for treatment at the local clinics in town. Today, Indian doctors have examined me carefully and given me medications to treat the condition as well as manage my pain. I hope I can restart my small business soon,' she said with a smile. Albino Amum, a community leader residing at the camp who helped peacekeepers mobilize this event, described the activity as timely and significant. 'Earlier, we were receiving healthcare from various international and nongovernmental organizations, but we understand that there is a reduction in funding, which has left a big vacuum. So, this medical drive by our friends at UNMISS came at a very opportune time. We hope they'll consider doing similar activities for us for five or six days in future. It makes a big difference for those who are financially constrained yet need urgent health checks,' stated Mr. Amum. For his part, Dr. Ravi reveals that the biggest satisfaction was the response from community members. 'As medical professionals and peacekeepers, there is no greater reward than the genuine appreciation we have received from the displaced communities we treated. I believe this initiative is a testament to what collective effort and compassion can achieve in strengthening public health.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Zawya
17-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Escalating insecurity forces Médecins sans frontières (MSF) to close Ulang hospital in South Sudan
After two violence incidents earlier this year, MSF has been forced to close our hospital in Ulang county, South Sudan, and end our support to 13 community-based health facilities. This has left 150,000 people with less access to healthcare, in an area where MSF's maternal services are a lifeline. All parties to conflict in South Sudan must adhere to international humanitarian law, cease such indiscriminate attacks, and ensure the protection of medical facilities, health workers, and patients. People in remote areas of Upper Nile state in South Sudan are suffering from a lack of access to healthcare, since attacks on medical boats and armed looting in medical facilities since the beginning of the year have forced Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to close our hospital and end our support to 13 community-based healthcare facilities in Ulang county. The closure of MSF's hospital has left an area of more than 200km from the Ethiopian border to Malakal town without any functional specialised healthcare facility. MSF calls on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, cease such indiscriminate attacks, and ensure the protection of medical facilities, health workers, and patients. Since February 2025, South Sudan has experienced its worst spike in violence since the 2018 peace deal. Fighting between government forces and armed youth militias has escalated across multiple states, including Upper Nile, Jonglei, Unity, and Central Equatoria. This has led to mass displacement, widespread civilian casualties, and a total collapse of already fragile public services. Despite these closures, MSF remains dedicated to supporting the healthcare needs of displaced and vulnerable people in Ulang and Nasir counties. We have a mobile emergency team assessing needs who are prepared to provide short-term healthcare services wherever security conditions and access allow. MSF continues to provide healthcare services in our other projects in Upper Nile state, including in Malakal and Renk counties. An escalating trend of violence against healthcare In January 2025, MSF faced an attack by unidentified gunmen near Nasir, shooting at our boats as they returned from delivering medical supplies to Nasir County hospital. This attack forced us to suspend all outreach activities in Nasir and Ulang counties, which included medical referrals by boat along the Sobat River that allowed women to deliver their babies safely. In April 2025, armed individuals forced their way into the hospital in Ulang where they threatened staff and patients and looted the hospital so extensively that MSF no longer had the necessary resources to continue operations safely and effectively. 'They took everything: medical equipment, laptops, patients' beds and mattresses from the wards, and approximately nine months' worth of medical supplies, including two planeloads of surgical kits and drugs delivered just the week before. Whatever they could not carry, they destroyed,' says Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission for South Sudan. Within a month, another MSF hospital was bombed in Old Fangak, a town in the neighbouring Jonglei state, leaving the facility completely non-functional. This is part of a worrying rise in attacks on healthcare facilities in South Sudan. Local communities depended on MSF for prenatal care 'During my third pregnancy, I decided to come to the hospital well in advance before my delivery. I lost my two first children because I did not make it to the hospital on time,' says Nyapual Jok, a young mother from the outskirts of Ulang county. Nyapual had been transported to the hospital by one of MSF's boat ambulances, since she lives in a remote village far away from Ulang hospital. Ulang, a vast flood-prone area, is characterised by spotted remote villages which often suffer severe mobility restrictions during the rainy seasons. MSF ran boat transportation services to ensure access to healthcare to mothers like Nyapual. 'It's very hard to access healthcare here. If we had a hospital closer during my previous deliveries, maybe my children would be alive today,' adds Nyapual. Nyapual shared her story in November 2024, only two months before the attack on the same boats which helped her deliver her baby safely. Facility closures create gaps that are difficult to fill The attacks' effect of stopping medical referrals by boat has had fatal consequences for the people living in remote areas in the region. People in Ulang and Nasir counties had to wait for days, sometimes even weeks, to get a boat to take them to Ulang hospital. In desperate situations, they would walk for days through a muddy landscape – a land that is nearly impossible to cross on foot during rainy season. 'She was in labour when she suffered birth complications – she had to get to a hospital as soon as possible,' says Veronica Nyakuoth, an MSF midwife at the Ulang hospital, about a patient she attended to in the maternity ward. 'Normally, MSF mobile teams would have been able to pick her up by boat, but since that service was cut off, instead she had to wait two days for a private boat to take her. When she finally made it to Ulang hospital, it was too late: the team could not find a heartbeat from the twins she was carrying in her womb.' 150,000 people cut off from care With the closure of the hospital and the withdrawal of support to the decentralised facilities including transportation of patients, more than 150,000 people will now face even more difficulties accessing healthcare in Ulang county and more might face the tragic fate that Veronica's patient had to suffer. Over 800 patients with chronic illnesses such as HIV, tuberculosis, and others have lost access to treatment due to the closure of MSF services in the area. 'We need a hospital nearby that can help mothers and children. Without it, many will suffer and lose their lives,' says Nyapual. MSF in Ulang Since 2018, MSF had been providing vital health services in Ulang including trauma, maternal and paediatric care. The teams also supported 13 facilities to offer essential healthcare services. Over the past seven years, MSF teams carried out more than 139,730 outpatient consultations, admitted 19,350 patients, treated 32,966 cases of malaria, and assisted 2,685 deliveries, among other essential services. During this time, MSF also provided support to Nasir County hospital and responded to multiple emergencies and disease outbreaks. Nyapual's story, along with those of many others, serves as a stark reminder that healthcare is a fundamental right and should never be a target. The consequences of attacks to healthcare are more than the damage to a building; it's the loss of hope, safety, and the chance for a healthier future. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).
Zawya
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Conflict, Displacement and disease drive food insecurity and malnutrition to alarming level in parts of South Sudan
The population in two counties in South Sudan are at risk of famine in the coming months, as conflict in Upper Nile state escalates, destroying homes, disrupting livelihoods, and impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid. The latest update by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) shows a deterioration in food and nutrition conditions in areas of South Sudan hit by fighting in the last few months. In Upper Nile state, people in 11 of the 13 counties are now facing emergency levels of hunger. Of extreme concern are Nasir and Ulang counties in Upper Nile, where people are deemed to be at-risk of famine, in the worst-case scenario. These areas have faced intense clashes and aerial bombardments that began in March, leading to large scale displacement. Some 32,000 people are in Catastrophic (IPC Phase 5) hunger conditions in Upper Nile state, more than three times the previous projection. Other parts of the country that have been spared from the conflict have seen improvements, with food security classification shifting from emergency (IPC Phase 4) to crisis (IPC Phase 3) – linked in some areas to better crop production and in others to sustained humanitarian interventions. This highlights the positive impact stability can have on food security. Nonetheless, 7.7 million people (57 percent of the population) continue to face acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+), and there have been persistent pockets of catastrophic hunger (IPC Phase 5) in South Sudan in recent years, with conflict as a core driver. The last time famine was confirmed in South Sudan was in 2017. 'South Sudan cannot afford to sink into conflict at this point in time. It will plunge already vulnerable communities into severe food insecurity, leading to widespread hunger as farmers will be prevented from working on their land,' said Meshack Malo, Country Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in South Sudan. 'Improvement from IPC Phase 4 to IPC Phase 3, in ten counties, is clear testament of the dividends of peace' Humanitarian access in the conflict-affected areas remains severely constrained, leaving vulnerable communities without vital support during the lean season, amid ongoing conflict and displacement. The report also found that 66 percent (1.04 million people) of Upper Nile state's population are now facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3), Emergency (IPC Phase 4), or Catastrophic (IPC Phase 5) levels of hunger. 'Once again, we are seeing the devastating impact conflict has on food security in South Sudan,' said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Country Director and Representative for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in South Sudan. 'Conflict doesn't just destroy homes and livelihoods, it tears communities apart, cuts off access to markets, and sends food prices spiraling upward. Long-term peace is essential, but right now, it is critical our teams are able to access and safely distribute food to families caught in conflict in Upper Nile, to bring them back from the brink and prevent famine." Malnutrition is also surging among children and mothers amidst a cholera outbreak with three additional counties in Upper Nile and Unity states reaching the most critical levels of malnutrition classification. The number of children at risk of acute malnutrition across South Sudan has risen to 2.3 million, from 2.1 million earlier in the year – an already unprecedented number. 'These latest projections place a further 200,000 young children at high risk of malnutrition. The ongoing challenges with access in some of the most affected areas, as well as health and nutrition site closures reduce the chances of early intervention and treatment. In addition, the cholera outbreak has added to an already difficult situation, putting young lives in a precarious fight for survival,' said Noala Skinner, UNICEF's country representative in South Sudan. 'Now more than ever we need continuity and scale-up of services for prevention and treatment of malnutrition' she added. As conflict, displacement, and disease continue to converge, humanitarian agencies are warning that the time to act is passing quickly for thousands of families in Upper Nile who are on the brink of catastrophe. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Agencies Say a Violence-hit Part of South Sudan is on the Brink of Famine
Three United Nations agencies warned on Thursday of looming famine in a conflict-stricken part of South Sudan. People in 11 of 13 counties in South Sudan's Upper Nile state now face emergency levels of hunger, the World Food Program, the UN Children's Fund and the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a joint statement. Upper Nile is the scene of fighting between government troops and armed militias that oppose the government of President Salva Kiir. The fighting has escalated in recent months, 'destroying homes, disrupting livelihoods and impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid,' the statement said. Some 32,000 people are in hunger conditions categorized as 'catastrophic,' more than three times the previous projection, it said. Although some other parts of South Sudan are seeing improvements in food security, some 57% of the east African country's 11.5 million people face acute food insecurity, Reuters reported. Famine was declared in parts of South Sudan in 2017. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international system to designate hunger crises, considers an area to be in famine when three things occur: 20% of households have an extreme lack of food, or essentially are starving; at least 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting, meaning they're too thin for their height; and two adults or four children per every 10,000 people are dying daily of hunger and its complications. The IPC unites experts from more than 20 organizations, including UN agencies, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, the European Union, and the World Bank. Nasir, one of the counties facing a famine warning, is a stronghold for anti-government militias and the scene of fighting that has left mounting civilian casualties. 'Once again, we are seeing the devastating impact conflict has on food security in South Sudan,' Mary-Ellen McGroarty, the World Food Program representative in South Sudan, said in the statement by the UN agencies. 'Conflict doesn't just destroy homes and livelihoods, it tears communities apart, cuts off access to markets and sends food prices spiraling upward. Long-term peace is essential, but right now, it is critical our teams are able to access and safely distribute food to families caught in conflict in Upper Nile, to bring them back from the brink and prevent famine.'
