South Sudan: Hundreds of thousands in desperate need
24-01-2014 Feature
South Sudan is in the grip of armed violence, causing great hardship for people who have already faced years of conflict and insecurity. Since the middle of December 2013, hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have been affected by the violence. They are in desperate need of medical care, food, water and basic shelter. The ICRC is carrying out emergency surgical operations, providing food andhousehold items to tens of thousands of people and setting up water points. ICRC head of delegation Melker Mabeck explains the challenges and the ICRC's response.
Between mid-December 2013 and 20 January 2014, the ICRC has:
- performed over 700 operations in four health facilities and cared for over 1,000 inpatients;
- provided nursing care at four hospitals;
- provided a regular supply of clean water to a major hospital in Juba, built eight latrines and erected 12 tents to act as hospital wards;
- provided a one-month supply of food for inpatients at Malakal Teaching Hospital and erected four tents to act as dispensary wards;
- donated material to build 48 latrines for internally displaced people in Awerial;
- provided food for two weeks to more than 60,000 people;
- provided essential supplies including kitchen kits and shelter items to 35,000 people who had to flee violence in Jonglei state;
- enabled over 500 people to restore contact with close relatives from whom they had been separated by armed violence.