BLOG: Children suffer most as violence ravages South Sudan

The ghosts that struck Kenya after the 2007 elections are back. Their target this time round is neighbouring South Sudan. It is unfortunate that they have swarmed the world’s newest nation with more vengeance. Like Kenya, their forte is negative ethnicity. Worst hit are children. Reports indicate that 60 per cent of the 707,400 people displaced in-country, and another 149,700 who fled across the borders of the world’s newest nation, are children.

The prognosis of South Sudan is a repeat of Kenya in 2007: killings, rape, burning of houses, loss of property, a mass exodus. 

The prognosis of South Sudan is a replica of what transpired in Kenya: killing of perceived ‘wrong’ tribes; sexual violation including massive rape; burning houses; an increase in child led households; plundering of property; people fleeing; emergence of displaced people camps; NGOs swarming the field with relief food and other non- food-items; and of course, high level meetings to help resolve the political impasse.

Allow me to draw this parallel, as a Kenyan, who was at the late John Garang mausoleum, here in South Sudan’s capital of Juba, during independence. I saw and felt the excitement as the world’s newest nation was born. Then, the entire country had erupted into loud ululations, dance and songs. I actively joined in.

“South Sudan hoiyee! South Sudan hoiyee!! We are overwhelmed … We did not know that the whole world would join us today … Please bear with us if you do not have proper sitting space,” the master of ceremony pleaded with dignitaries who had no sitting space within the dais, before the celebrations proper commenced.

That is not all. Prior to South Sudan’s independence day, I had again made another visit to this country for yet another historic event – the referendum. During that exercise, I travelled to Upper Nile State and stayed at the Upper Nile hotel, within Malakal town. I traversed the area with my camera, documenting South Sudanese cast their ballots for secession from the north. I witnessed ‘live’ octogenerians shedding tears of joy as they cast their votes. It was very emotional.

Read Michael's blog about the world's newest nation here.

During the two events, there were thousands of determined South Sudanese, who braved attacks and travelled back ‘home’, to join hands in building their new country. Most of the returnees had left the area decades earlier because of war and could not trace their roots. Those I interviewed then told me that they were content living in displaced people camps within their own country rather than as refugees in exile. That was then.

Today, I have spent three weeks in South Sudan, covering the current conflict. I have traversed Juba (the capital city) and Malakal, the capital city of the Upper Nile State at the height of the current crisis. I focused on Malakal, which has borne the brunt of this conflict.

This time round, I fought back tears as my colleague, Philip Ronyo, of the Malakal World Vision office broke down and shed tears of pain. He was narrating how his wife and children suffered as fighting in Malakal raged.

Thrice, I have gone into Malakal town to try understand what exactly happened. It is not the same place. It has been run down. What used to be a vibrant market is no more, as it was set ablaze. There is no single person in that vicinity. Agencies, including our own World Vision that had built healthy stocks of assets, have been reduced to zero. Any visible valuables were stolen, using any mobile and immobile vehicles.

But it is the effect on residents, especially women and children, that is saddest.

Double tragedy hit displaced people within Malakal in mid January as 250 of them fled from the conflict, aboard a boat on the river Nile. It sunk in the crocodile infested river and killed all on board, many of them children. Sadly, I have since established that within that boat was a nuclear family of seven (a father, mother and five children), all who perished.

Last Wednesday while within Malakal town, I witnessed Red Cross personnel loading corpses in polythene bags onto a truck. These were people who were killed during the conflict and their bodies were left uncollected in homes. They were later buried in mass graves within Malakal town, without decent burials nor relatives who have fled and are afraid of returning.

All over the town are military uniforms, boots and suitcases that were either abandoned by those who fled or killed. From any location within the proximity of Malakal town, a swarm of vultures and hawks constantly hovers over the sky. Those I spoke with attributed this to abundance of ‘food’.

About 28,000 of those who fled are now hosted within the Malakal United Nations Mission in Sudan’s (UNMISS) compound. I saw others at the St. Joseph’s Catholic church in Malakal town, within Malakal Boys High School and the Malakal University Teaching Hospital. Several can be seen trekking along main roads, carrying bundles of luggage as they head to the displaced people camps. In these places, life is difficult. The living conditions are horrible.

Humanitarian agencies, including World Vision, are striving to reach out with relief rations but the need outstrips supply. Desperate women and children are crying out for your support.

Most areas of the Protection of Civilians (POC) area within the UNMISS camp, has a repugnant, choking smell from feces that litter the area. Since the displaced people moved in, many of the latrines have filled up and are overflowing with human waste, risking a possible outbreak of such killer contagious diseases, like cholera.

To stem off possible starvation, World Vision in conjunction with the World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed a total of 106.76 metric tonnes of relief food to 21,568 beneficiaries, within the Malakal UNMISS camp alone. I am reliably informed that the food assistance resumes next week, at camps within town.

Young Nyanasir Chol (in a red t-shirt) watches as her mother mother's finger print is taken on the World Vision food distribution verification queue at Malakal.

This past week, I also proudly witnessed distribution of Non-Food Items (NFIs), by our response team. They ranged from blankets, sleeping mats, cooking sets, mosquito nets, collapsible water containers, plastic sheeting material to improve shelter structures, plastic buckets, toothbrushes, toothpastes, several tablets of soap, sanitary pads, cleaning towels, combs and plastic bags. 

These items are useful as they provide relief. However, all displaced people that I talked to are unanimous in their call: for a peaceful South Sudan. As I have repeated, hardest hit are children, some who are orphaned. Many of them roam the ‘streets’ of the displaced people camp, with an evident deep sense of loneliness. They have clearly not adjusted to the hustle and bustle of fending for themselves.

Most children were exposed to the ruthlessness and violence of the conflict. They have suddenly been hauled into a rough new life. As many seasoned families line up to secure food at distribution sites, I saw a number of children ‘alone’, unsure of what was unfolding.

Humanitarian agencies are trying to alleviate the human suffering, but still require US $ 1.3 billion to effectively respond this crisis. The world must pay attention if South Sudan is to be saved.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of World Vision.