UN Warns of Aid Cuts Amid South Sudan Fighting
The United Nations has raised alarm over the impact of reduced aid in South Sudan, where renewed fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
During a visit to a hospital in Akobo, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher described the suffering caused by the conflict. He spoke of survivors of gunshot wounds, including a 70 year old grandmother and a young child named Kol, who lost his parents and siblings in the violence. Fletcher said the hospital was full of victims of displacement and fighting, and warned that cuts to aid were worsening the crisis.
According to the UN, most of the fighting is concentrated in eastern Jonglei state. Since December, around 280,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Doctors in the region say they are overwhelmed by the number of casualties.
Dr. Kenneth Ozollo, a surgeon with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), explained that medical teams have been struggling to respond to the sudden influx of injured patients following the recent escalation in violence.
The conflict in South Sudan has largely pitted the country’s two main ethnic groups against each other. The Dinka community mostly supports President Salva Kiir, while the Nuer community backs Riek Machar, the former vice president. Their rivalry has fueled years of instability, leaving civilians caught in the middle.
Humanitarian agencies warn that the situation is becoming more desperate as fighting continues and resources shrink. Hospitals lack supplies, displaced families face food shortages, and aid workers say they cannot meet the growing needs without more support.
Fletcher’s visit highlights the urgent need for international assistance. He stressed that without adequate funding, hospitals and relief agencies will struggle to save lives. The UN has repeatedly appealed for more aid to South Sudan, but global funding has fallen short.
As the conflict drags on, the humanitarian crisis deepens. For families like Kol’s, who have lost loved ones and homes, the future remains uncertain. Aid workers say that unless support is restored and peace efforts succeed, South Sudan risks sliding further into tragedy.
