South Sudan,
Africa’s newest nation is fast but silently turning out to be one of the worst
humanitarian crisis and nearly 60 percent of its 7.5 to 10 million population
stare at starvation in the face as a civil war takes toll on the oil-rich
nation.
About five
million are at risk of death if food supplies do not arrive in time, with Bahr
el Ghazal, in north-western part the nation being the worst hit.
About
one-third of the children here are reportedly malnourished, according to media
reports.
The nation
has for long suffered from food crisis but the ongoing civil war has
exacerbated an already dire situation, Al Jazeera reported.
Hostilities
from some government officials and rebels have restricted humanitarian aid to
the nation in a country where 44 percent of its budget is spend on military,
about $4 million per day to wage wars and onslaughts, according to data by Defense one.
The economic
and social cost of the war is fast ruining the nation. At least 250 refugees
cross into neighboring Uganda, where over-crowing in the camps has led to
severe deterioration in living conditions.
Last week,
some children died in Arua District in Uganda, despite making a near
50-kilometer treacherous journey through Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),
always wary of attacks from militia who roam the paths to ‘freedom’, Voice of America reported.
At least
2,000 refugees are crossing into Uganda daily.
The
in-sensitivity that the war-lords in the nation have towards poor civilians who
have lost their families to the guns and starvation.
Most of them
are mothers and children, some malnourished and others pregnant and some
malnourished and too weak to make the journey that is a must if they wish to live
another day.
No respite
is in sight and the crisis is turning into a catastrophe by the day. It is dire
and something must be done to avert one of the worst humanitarian crisis in
modern civilization.
Mothers have
tough choices to make on which of their children to save. They chose who to let
die and who to help live!
Elizabeth
Athiel, a mother in Bahr el Ghazal could not leave take her malnourished
eight-month daughter to clinic and leave her other five children behind. The
little girl urgently needed medical attention but her mother had an anguishing
decision to make, Al Jazeera reported.
Throughout
the nation, countless Athiels are faced with such harrowing choices to make.
Their children are dying in their arms and those who cross to neighboring
Uganda, Kenya and other neighboring live in hell, in deplorable conditions.
The nation’s
exiled former deputy president, Riek Machar called for fresh war against the
government forces last week, a move that drew condemnation from the
international community.
This is
perhaps the farthest that the ‘big boys’ are ready to destroy the nation at the
expense of the civilians in order to protect their political interests.
On the other
end, President Salva Kiir, called for forgiveness as the wounded seeks to get
lasting peace. The calls inspire little hope as his majority Dinka-troops and
Machar’s Nuer forces cannot see eye to eye.
The two, one
in power and the other viciously fighting to dislodge him hold the answers to
solving the problems afflicting Sudan.
Since
violence broke out in July near the presidential palace, hundreds have been
slaughtered and at least a million displaced. Malnutrition, starvation and
health crisis walk hand in hand with the survivors in the refugees camps, both
at home and in the neighboring nations.
The nation
is one of the poorest in the world, with deplorably poor indicators in health,
education and underdevelopment.
The
situation is getting dire by the day. Refugees are leaving en masse, people are
dying and children are bearing the devastating brunt of the ethnically-fueled
violence.
Machar just called
for fresh violence!
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