South Sudan On the Edge

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!