Decades of Humanitarian Crisis: South Sudan Faces Ongoing Conflict, Climate Change, and Health Challenges
In a region plagued by conflict and instability, South Sudan stands as the world’s youngest nation, grappling with a complex web of challenges. This year, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) celebrates 40 years of providing critical medical aid to the people of South Sudan. However, despite the resilience of the South Sudanese people, the country continues to face immense needs amidst ongoing crises, compounded by new hurdles such as climate change.
MSF has been at the forefront of delivering lifesaving medical assistance to those affected by conflict, disease, and displacement in South Sudan. Working in collaboration with local authorities and communities, MSF aims to enhance the impact of their efforts and address the multifaceted challenges faced by the people of South Sudan.
The journey has not been without its difficulties. Conflict and hostilities in neighboring Uganda led MSF to initiate its first project in Yei, Central Equatoria, in 1983. Providing emergency medical care to both host communities and refugees fleeing Uganda’s civil unrest, MSF became a beacon of hope in a region burdened by its own conflicts.
Over the years, as the needs of refugees and host communities increased, MSF adapted its activities to address the consequences of conflict-induced displacement, famine, and disease outbreaks. These activities encompassed medical treatment, vaccination campaigns, clean water and sanitation initiatives, as well as non-food item distribution. Today, South Sudan represents one of MSF’s most significant operational footprints, with 13 projects nationwide and countless lives touched.
South Sudan’s road to independence in 2011 offered a glimmer of hope, but it was short-lived. In December 2013, a civil war erupted between the government and opposition forces, resulting in widespread violence, thousands of fatalities, and the displacement of a third of the population.
When the country got its independence in 2011, there was a lot of hope, recalled Andrew Dak, Hospital Coordinator Support at MSF. But two years later, everything went back to zero.
Since then, South Sudan has been trapped in a cycle of recurrent conflicts and concurrent emergencies, including food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and catastrophic floods. The country has been ravaged by the worst floods the region has witnessed in the past four years, with approximately two-thirds of South Sudan submerged in water last year alone.
The severity of these floods has escalated, causing widespread devastation. People have been uprooted from their homes, vital crops destroyed, livestock lost, and essential infrastructure like schools and health facilities damaged. For a nation already grappling with years of violence, fragile healthcare systems, and high levels of malnutrition, the floods only compound an already dire humanitarian situation.
The barriers to accessing healthcare in South Sudan are manifold. Apart from floods, insecurity and a lack of facilities pose significant challenges for patients across the country. The absence of adequate medical infrastructure in remote areas forces many mothers and pregnant women to rely on traditional birth attendants, endangering their lives.
To surmount these obstacles, MSF teams have been working tirelessly to support maternal health in the most vulnerable communities. They have established clinics, conducted outreach and preventative initiatives, and trained community healthcare workers in remote regions.
South Sudan’s health system has suffered immensely from decades of conflict and underinvestment. The shortage of healthcare infrastructure and qualified medical professionals poses a formidable hurdle to the country’s efforts in building a robust healthcare system.
For more than 15 years, MSF has been providing care for patients here in Bentiu, but the organization won’t be here forever, said John Puok, a medical doctor with MSF.
Recognizing the importance of long-term impact, the MSF Academy for Healthcare is training locally recruited South Sudanese healthcare workers in multiple states. The goal is to strengthen competencies and improve the quality of care, addressing the chronic shortage of medical professionals in the country.
Twelve years after gaining independence, South Sudan is still grappling with immense needs, ongoing conflicts, displacement, and the emerging challenge of climate change. These crises and challenges exacerbate existing diseases and worsen the already deplorable humanitarian situation. According to the United Nations, approximately two-thirds of the population, or around 9.4 million people, require humanitarian assistance, healthcare, and protection. The country finds itself in the midst of one of the world’s worst crises, with an influx of returnees and refugees from Sudan further intensifying the strain on the already overwhelmed humanitarian response.
As South Sudan perseveres through these trying times, sustained support from humanitarian organizations is crucial. MSF remains committed to responding to emergencies and addressing health gaps, but collaboration and assistance from other entities are vital to alleviate the immense suffering endured by the South Sudanese people. Together, we can work towards a brighter future for this young nation, helping it overcome the decades-long humanitarian crisis it faces.
