South Sudan MPs Receive $5,000 Medical Allowance as Civil Servants Go Months Without Salaries

(Photo Credit: Alfadil Attiya Abuanja / File)

By: Alfadil Attiya Abuanja

May 29, 2026 JUBA - Members of South Sudan’s parliament have each received a $5,000 medical allowance despite thousands of civil servants and security personnel remaining unpaid for months amid the country’s deepening economic crisis.

South Sudan’s bicameral parliament consists of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), which has 550 members, and the Council of States with 100 members.

Lawmakers confirmed that some MPs received the payments on Tuesday, while others are expected to receive theirs after the Eid holidays due to temporary bank closures.

The payments have sparked public criticism at a time when teachers, healthcare workers, and security forces continue to struggle without regular salaries as inflation and currency depreciation worsen living conditions across the country.

George Angier, a member of the ruling SPLM party, defended the allowance, saying it was necessary following the deaths of several lawmakers due to illness and the country’s weak healthcare system.

“We received it. It is not a large amount, but it is better than nothing,” Angier told Radio Tamazuj. “We have lost many MPs due to illness. We need to improve the health system. For now, this support is important.”

South Sudan’s healthcare system remains severely underdeveloped, forcing many officials and citizens to seek treatment abroad.

However, critics questioned the government’s priorities, arguing that ordinary citizens facing the same healthcare challenges receive no comparable support while public servants continue to endure long salary delays.

Madelina Abuk, an MP from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), said the amount was still insufficient to meet medical costs abroad.

“$5,000 is very little. It cannot even cover medical travel and treatment,” she said.

Abuk added that lawmakers themselves are struggling financially because their monthly salary of 750,000 South Sudanese pounds is now worth around $110 on the parallel market due to the depreciation of the local currency.

“In parliament, you have to do your own business to survive. The salary alone is not enough,” she said.

TNLA spokesperson Benjamin Oliver Mori said he was unaware of the allowance and promised to provide clarification later.

Dorothy Drabuga Ambrose, chairperson of the South Sudan Land Alliance, said while healthcare support for lawmakers may be justified, the government must urgently address unpaid salaries for civil servants and security forces.

“When security forces are unpaid for long periods, it becomes a threat to national security,” she warned.

The payments come weeks after new parliamentary leadership took office following the removal of former Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba in April, and amid ongoing efforts to amend key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement ahead of long-delayed elections.