South Sudan: “People keep asking me, is help coming?”
By Adedeji Ademigbuji and Doreen Kansiime
Last month, a grandmother, walked for seven days, carrying her month-and-a-few-days-old granddaughter, Nyabhan. Nyaphan Nyang, the grandmother, walked with a sense of urgency, surviving on leaves. She was fleeing from the conflict that had consumed Walgak Payam in Akobo West, Jonglei State. Besides, the baby was critically ill because of severe malnutrition.
Hunger had become widespread as conflict resurged in Jonglei State in December 2025. Bhan’s father had been killed in the conflict, while her mother and siblings were kidnapped by armed youth. Nyaphan was the baby’s only hope.
She did get her to safety and help. Unfortunately, it was too late. A few days later Nyabhan died.
The baby and the grandmother were among the several displaced people who met with Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), Tom Fletcher, about a week ago.
Most of them like Nyabhan’s grandmother had no access to food, protection and basic healthcare. They had all been surviving on leaves and fruits from the desert date tree, locally known as lalob.
They had all sought refuge in community surrounding the Episcopal Church, where they had found safety. But hunger remained a constant challenge. Several of them held placards appealing for food and medicine.
Many displaced mothers and grandmothers have taken in orphaned babies. But as most mothers are severely malnourished, they have been unable to breastfeed the babies.
Akobo County Hospital
At the nearby Akobo Hospital, 18-month-old baby Kool is being treated for bullet injuries. He was also rescued by his grandmother, who found him injured next to his mother, who was killed as they tried to escape fighting.
He is one of many patients receiving emergency care at the hospital. Doctors describe a facility operating under heavy pressure, with rising caseloads and medicines running low.
“We are responding to the sudden influx of injured patients due to the recent increase in fighting. Most of them have extreme injuries due to walking in the bush for several days to weeks. By the time they arrive, the wounds are really infected and sometimes require amputation,” said Dr. Kenneth Ozoilo, of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Akobo.
He added that they were concerned that many other patients with more severe injuries might not be able to reach the hospital due to limited access.
“What I’ve seen is the extraordinary work led by the ICRC and others, many of them volunteers who ensure that Kool and others survive,” Fletcher said.
He added that he had also witnessed the impact of funding cuts, with items like the hospital’s generator working only a few hours to provide much needed power.
“People keep asking me, is help coming? I hope it is, but I don’t know whether I can give them that reassurance.”
Access constraints
Access into Akobo remains challenging due to insecurity, poor roads, and seasonal flooding. Humanitarian operations rely heavily on short flight windows authorized for limited supply deliveries and staff rotations. These flight rotations were stopped for several weeks from the end of 2025 due to a no-fly zone imposed by the Government and were only allowed to resume just ahead of ERC Fletcher's arrival.
Doctors and aid workers said insecurity, access constraints and funding gaps have reduced what the hospital can sustain. They also stressed that needs go beyond emergency treatment, including psychosocial support and protection.
Aid workers’ concerns
In a meeting with aid workers, Fletcher addressed the pressures they face, from stopped projects to unpaid staff and physical danger. He explained that he understood how funding cuts are hitting them and pledged to take their message back to decision-makers.
He also made an urgent call for the protection of aid workers: “The first rule of this work is do not attack humanitarians, do not kill humanitarians,” and called for stronger action to end impunity and protect those delivering assistance. At least 4 humanitarian workers have been killed in Jonglei and Upper Nile states the first two months of 2026.
Fast funding, hard choices
In January 2026, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) released US$10 million to help scale up urgent, life-saving assistance for people affected by recent violence and displacement, including in Jonglei, with support also targeting Upper Nile and Lakes States.
Alongside this, the OCHA-managed South Sudan Humanitarian Fund plans to allocate an additional US$1.5 million to support Akobo, Uror and Nyirol in Jonglei State, which have been severely affected by the recent resurgence of conflict.
“CERF is a lifeline. It allows us to act swiftly and in a coordinated manner… often before other funding becomes available,” Humanitarian Coordinator Anita Kiki Gbeho said.
But the needs are larger than any single allocation. Hunger and malnutrition, flooding and water-borne diseases like cholera, and protracted displacement continue to affect millions of people across South Sudan.
Increased funding is urgently needed to provide food, healthcare and protection support for millions of communities across South Sudan.
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