In a devastating turn of events, eight people—five of them children—have died from cholera in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei state. The heartbreaking news comes as aid cuts force families to walk for hours just to reach the nearest health clinics. Save the Children, the organization sounding the alarm, had to close seven centers in the area due to the termination of key international funding. Twenty more centers are barely functioning, relying on volunteers and unable to transport patients like before. The impact of the USAID cuts across conflict-stricken East Africa is rippling far and wide, leaving millions increasingly vulnerable and in urgent need of care.
Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in South Sudan, didn’t mince words: “There should be global moral outrage,” he said, calling out how decisions made in boardrooms thousands of miles away are leading to the preventable deaths of children. Akobo hospital, one of the few functioning government-run facilities, is overwhelmed. Dr. Nyuon Koang described the situation as “catastrophic,” with nearly 47,000 cholera cases and over 870 deaths reported since October. Meanwhile, instability in the region is worsening. With a recent rebel attack in the north, retaliatory airstrikes, and opposition leader Riek Machar under house arrest, fears of renewed civil war are growing by the day.
The crisis extends far beyond South Sudan. In Somalia, over six million people are grappling with acute food insecurity. The World Food Program warns that things are going from bad to worse, with funding shortfalls reducing the number of people receiving life-saving food and cash aid. Aid worker Mohamed Elmi Afrah says the cuts are having a global effect but hitting Africa hardest. “In Somalia, aid is a lifeline,” he said. It’s not just about numbers—it’s about real lives, families, and communities teetering on the edge.
“Your donation helps us cover global events, ensuring everyone stays informed.”
(Source: ABC News | Reuters)
