South Sudan: The consequences of violence since independence

In some areas, conflict brought a resurgence of kala azar^[1], the world’s second largest parasitic disease. In addition, there have been measles, hepatitis C and cholera outbreaks, among others.

Mental health

Millions of people in South Sudan have been repeatedly exposed to traumatic events. MSF has witnessed increases in suicide attempts and has worked with patients coping with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"The most difficult thing to be South Sudanese is the fear. People facing in fear. People sleeping in fear. So, this creates a lot of trauma ^[2]on people because people are not free like when we first got our independence." — MSF staff, Mundri, August 2019

The impact of protracted conflict and repeated humanitarian crises in South Sudan is worsened by a weak, chronically underfunded, healthcare system, destroyed in many areas and largely neglected in others.

In 2020, of approximately 2,300 health facilities, more than 1,300 were non-functional. Less than half (44 percent) of the total population and just 32 percent of internally displaced people live within five kilometres of a functional health facility.

Continuing humanitarian crises

Despite a peace agreement in 2018 which ended five years of civil war, and the formation of a unified government in early 2020, the situation remains volatile in many areas.

In 2019, South Sudan saw a resurgence of subnational conflicts and factional fighting, which has since escalated in 2020 and 2021.

References

1. ^{^} kala azar (www.bing.com)
2. ^{^} trauma (www.bing.com)