South Sudan: UNICEF reaches communities cut off by conflict in Jonglei state

Jonglei is among a handful of states that have seen a return to armed conflict, with clashes between Government and opposition forces. 

“Access challenges in Jonglei state have left the lives of mothers and their children hanging in the balance,” said Noala Skinner, UNICEF South Sudan Country Representative. 

Since January, escalating fighting, mass displacement and unsafe routes have cut off services and forced health facilities to close, leaving families without reliable access to healthcare, safe water, protection and nutrition support.  

Children screened for malnutrition

UNICEF delivered more than eight tonnes of essential supplies through its Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) to isolated communities in Wiechjol, a town in Akobo County, and in Waat, Nyirol County. 

Items included therapeutic food for children suffering from acute malnutrition, water treatment and hygiene kits, as well as critical medical supplies. 

Teams screened 1,666 children under five for acute malnutrition.  They admitted 146 for lifesaving treatment and referred 602 youngsters with moderate acute malnutrition for follow-up care. 

Additionally, 331 caregivers were counselled on how to boost nutrition levels among infants and young children. 

Ms. Skinner cited Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) surveys which found that global acute malnutrition rates in Akobo West exceed 40 per cent – among the highest in the country. 

“The RRM missions are important, but operating conditions in northern Jonglei remain challenging,” she said.

Health and water services restored

On the health front, teams provided 1,241 patients, including 250 under-fives, with primary healthcare services, and treated common illnesses such as malaria, acute respiratory tract infections, acute watery diarrhoea and skin diseases. 

Teams working in water, sanitation and hygiene, gave water filters and purification supplies to 1,200 families, while 200 women and girls received dignity and hygiene kits. They also reached more than 2,000 people with messages on hygiene promotion and disease prevention.  

Damaged and non-functional water infrastructure, poor sanitation and limited access to health services continue to drive preventable childhood illness.  Ongoing conflict and displacement also raise the risk of family separation, gender-based violence and child recruitment by armed groups, UNICEF said. 

More help needed

“For many families, this was the first help they had seen in months. But what we found shows how much more is needed, and how quickly conditions can deteriorate if access continues to be constrained in these areas,” Ms. Skinner stressed. 

UNICEF is calling for action in four areas: 

1. Safe, predictable and sustained humanitarian access to conflict-affected communities
2. An end to grave violations against children, including recruitment, and greater investment in protection services for women and children, including the prevention of gender-based violence, child abductions and other protection risks.
3. Continued support for emergency response activities including the RRM missions and to prevent supply disruptions including therapeutic food, medicines and clean water.
4. Sustained partnerships and flexible humanitarian financing to maintain operational readiness, pre-position essential supplies, mobilize multidisciplinary response teams and enable the rapid deployment of lifesaving assistance whenever and wherever emergencies occur.