South Sudan: Living under a tree, thousands need water, food, shelter
As conflict escalates in the Upper Nile region, tens of thousands of people have been displaced and are now living in Aburoc village.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
This situation has forced entire families to live under trees. They lack the most basic of needs including food and water.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
The massive displacement has drastically increased the number of people living in Aburoc. This, in turn, has put enormous pressure on resources like water.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
The people living in Aburoc have been forced to survive on one liter of water per person per day.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
The available water is of poor quality and could cause disease.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
There are only three functioning hand pumps for tens of thousands of people.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
A cow drinking out of a muddy puddle next to one of the three functional hand pumps. Cattle are essential for survival of people in South Sudan.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
Poor quality and scarcity of water has resulted in an increased number of water-borne diseases.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
“I have to wait for hours in line to get water.” 19-year-old Nyanini from Kodok supports her mother and herself by selling tea.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
“Every day I wake up at 3 am to fetch water for the family. What I get is hardly enough to drink and to cook. Showering is a luxury.” Nygiealh, 44, is a mother of three. She was displaced from Malakal to Wau Shiluck, from Wau Shiluck to Kodok and from Kodok to Aburoc.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
To quickly respond to the emergency and prevent the spread of water-borne diseases like cholera the ICRC is digging wells and distributing jerrycans and soap to families in Aburoc.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
Tens of thousands of people have also received tarpaulins and mosquito nets.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Alyona Synenko
Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have fled from their homes in the Upper Nile region over the last few months due to fighting.
For some of them, this is the second or third time they have been forced to leave everything behind and now live in inadequate makeshift shelters. This situation could become worse when the seasonal rains arrive, exposing people to harsh weather.
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