19.06.2023 – 06:00
Save the Children Deutschland e.V.
Berlin/Color (ots)
Thousands of children in South Sudanese refugee camps are at risk of disease after fleeing Sudan. In the border region, heavy rain and flooding threaten the spread of cholera and other infectious diseases. Against this background, Save the Children calls on the participants of the donor conference for Sudan on Monday to provide comprehensive funds for the health care of the displaced people.
In Renk, in north-eastern South Sudan, there were heavy floods at the start of the rainy season in early June, turning local transit centers into mud flats. The water in these camps has no way of draining off, and infectious diseases spread quickly in such an environment. As early as April, the World Health Organization reported cases of cholera in Malakal, where many refugees from Sudan and returnees from South Sudan live.
More people are arriving in South Sudan every day, fleeing the violence and humanitarian crisis in Sudan. The camps near the border are overcrowded, the refugees live together in a very small space, which has already led to disputes among the residents about the scarce drinking water.
“Poor hygiene conditions and overcrowding are threatening the health of the refugees, and without additional medical help, thousands of children could die in the coming weeks,” says Muzamil Sebi from Save the Children’s country office in South Sudan, who recently visited Renk. “Two weeks ago, the children were exposed to the sun at 45 degrees Celsius. Now, in the rainy season, there is a risk of pneumonia and cholera. This clearly shows that children are helplessly at the mercy of the extreme weather, which has become even more severe as a result of the climate crisis.”
Save the Children supports refugee children and their families in Renk. These include child protection measures and family reunification. More than 1.9 million people have been displaced since fighting began in Sudan in mid-April, with half a million fleeing to neighboring countries. 90,000 people (almost every fifth refugee) fled to South Sudan, making it the country with the third largest number of refugees from Sudan behind Egypt and Chad. However, South Sudan is itself in a serious crisis. More than 9.4 million people – 76 percent of the population – are dependent on humanitarian aid. It’s one of the most underfunded crises in the world. In June 2022, the World Food Program suspended its food aid there due to a lack of funding.
“The cutback in international aid funds has had a devastating impact across South Sudan,” said Pornpun Jib Rabiltossaporn, Save the Children’s South Sudan country director. “Fortunately, so far we have been able to take care of the newcomers from Sudan, but without additional funds we will not be able to hold out much longer. There are no signs of an end to the crisis in Sudan, people will continue to come across the border and we will need support for months or months. We must also keep thinking about the millions of people who are suffering from the hunger crisis. We must leave no one behind.”
Über Save the Children
In the post-war year 1919, the British social reformer and children’s rights activist Eglantyne Jebb founded Save the Children to save children in Germany and Austria from starvation. Today, what is now the largest independent children’s rights organization in the world is active in around 120 countries. Save the Children works for children in wars, conflicts and disasters. For a world that respects the rights of children, in which all children can live healthy and safe lives and grow up and learn freely and independently – for over 100 years.
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Original content from: Save the Children Deutschland eV, transmitted by news aktuell