In brief
Recent aid reductions by the Trump administration have resulted in the closure of numerous health facilities in South Sudan, exacerbating a cholera outbreak that has already claimed lives, including children on desperate treks for medical care.
Empty lineAt least eight lives—five children and three adults—were claimed by cholera in South Sudan as victims struggled to find treatment amid severe cuts in aid from the Trump administration. According to Save the Children, the victims, hailing from the eastern region of the country, suffered a three-hour walk in extreme heat to reach the nearest available health facility, further highlighting the dire situation facing vulnerable populations in the area.The aid reductions, implemented in January, have caused seven out of the 27 health facilities supported by Save the Children in Akobo County to close, with an additional 20 operating under restricted conditions. Many of these clinics are now manned by volunteers who lack the resources to transport severely ill patients to hospitals.Christopher Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director for South Sudan, recently visited a struggling health clinic in the region. He described horrifying scenes of overcrowding, with tents designed for 25 people housing hundreds. Many patients are left sleeping outside, exposed to harsh weather and mosquitoes, desperately trying to recover from cholera.“I saw how difficult it is to manage the situation where people are just out there,” Nyamandi relayed, emphasizing the toll on healthcare workers who must manage the trauma of lost lives while also shielding children from the grim realities of mortality. The health crisis compounds with histories of war and malnutrition, making the situation in South Sudan even more disastrous.
