AFP -In South Sudan, the United Nations sounded the alarm on Thursday, May 8, due to a disruption in food supplies needed by 60,000 children suffering from malnutrition, as a result of intense fighting between forces loyal to Salva Kiir and those of his rival, Riek Machar.
According to a joint statement from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), “No humanitarian aid has entered the area for about a month” due to fierce fighting along the White Nile River, a key transportation route.
WFP and UNICEF added that this region in the north of the country is home to “more than 300,000 children who have suffered from moderate or severe malnutrition since last year” and has now reached “a breaking point”.
In this context, Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Representative in South Sudan, said, “Every day is critical for a malnourished child in need of lifesaving treatment.”
In addition to this tragedy, around 2,000 boxes of vital food supplies have been stolen since the intensification of hostilities, according to UN agencies.
UNICEF Representative Obiya Atching explained that the supply disruption is “unprecedented” due to “ongoing fighting, looting, and the closure of the waterway.”
Atching added, “If this continues, we will simply face a shortage of supplies in counties across Upper Nile State by the end of May 2025, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the youngest and most vulnerable children.”
South Sudan has experienced instability since its independence from Sudan in 2011.
A civil war broke out between Kiir and Machar’s forces, lasting five years, claiming 400,000 lives, and ending in 2018 after a power-sharing agreement that has completely collapsed in recent months.
