Escalating Clashes in South Sudan Displace Thousands and Thwart Humanitarian Efforts

Clashes in South Sudan have displaced over 50,000 individuals since February, as tensions escalate between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. Humanitarian conditions are deteriorating, with a growing cholera crisis and violence hampering life-saving services. The ongoing conflict threatens the fragile peace agreement established in 2018 after a civil war that resulted in significant loss of life.

The ongoing clashes in South Sudan have led to the displacement of over 50,000 individuals since February due to confrontations between the forces of President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar in the northwest region. The United Nations has expressed concern that these tensions, particularly in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, are jeopardizing an already fragile peace-sharing agreement.

Humanitarian conditions have worsened as a result of the violence. Anita Kiki Gbeho, a representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated that the situation is placing vulnerable communities at higher risk and has resulted in the halting of essential life-saving services. An air strike by the government on Monday claimed the lives of at least 20 individuals, including children.

The OCHA reported that 10,000 displaced individuals have sought refuge in Ethiopia, while 23 humanitarian workers have been compelled to vacate the area, leading to the suspension of a cholera treatment unit in Nasir. Gbeho called upon all parties involved to ensure that humanitarian access is granted to those most in need, particularly women, children, and the elderly.

Additionally, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has indicated a choleral epidemic, revealing 1,300 cases in Akobo County, which is also located in the Upper Nile. The escalating conflict poses a significant threat to the 2018 peace agreement between Kiir and Machar, which was established following a devastating civil war that resulted in approximately 400,000 fatalities.

Kiir’s allies have accused Machar’s forces of instigating violence in Nasir County, allegedly collaborating with the White Army, a paramilitary group associated with Machar’s Nuer ethnic community. The situation intensified this month when around 6,000 combatants from the White Army overtook a military base in Nasir, leading to a UN rescue attempt that resulted in the fatalities of a United Nations helicopter pilot and a senior South Sudanese general.

The ongoing conflict in South Sudan is significantly impacting humanitarian efforts, causing mass displacement and increasing the vulnerability of the affected populations. Calls for ceasing violence and facilitating humanitarian access are urgent as the region grapples with both conflict and health crises. The fragile status of peace agreements between key political figures underscores the urgent need for dialogue and reconciliation to avert further deterioration of the situation.

Original Source: www.wionews.com