UNICEF
South Sudan, March 2016
The conflict in South Sudan, where food insecurity will affect 7.5 million people this year, has left aid agencies struggling to bring vital supplies to remote areas. Kate Holt joined a rapid response mission to Thanyang, in Unity state, on behalf of Unicef. The mission brought food, medical supplies and vaccines to 15,000 people in an area where the only water comes from a nearby swamp and there are no health clinics, boreholes, schools or roads. Some walked for two days to get there. Many live on an island surrounded by swamp in an opposition-controlled area.
South Sudan was plunged into civil war two years ago. Although a peace deal was signed in August 2015 between President Salva Kiir and his former vice-president Riek Machar, the increasingly fragmented nature of the conflict has meant that NGOs struggle to access remote communities.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) estimates that 1.69 million people have been internally displaced.
Women carry emergency food supplies on their head from a World Food programme helicopter that has just landed in Thanyang, South Sudan on March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support with Unicef and the WFP who are running a Rapid Response Mission to support the most in accessible regions affected by the ongoing civil war. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from the swamp.
A Water and Sanitation adviser from UNICEF demonstrates how to make very dirty water clean using chlorine sachets as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State #South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from this swamp and they have no means of treating it before washing or drinking.- Two woman wash in swamp water while another collects water in a plastic container in a swamp near to an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State #South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from this swamp and they have no means of treating it before washing or drinking.
- A woman drinks water with her hands from a swamp near to an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State #South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from this swamp and they have no means of treating it before washing or drinking.
- Families who have been displaced by ongoing fighting in South Sudan wait to register to receive a ration card that will allow them to get food aid at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from the swamp.
- A young girl, who has been displaced by ongoing fighting carries her baby sister on her head in a basket while waiting to register to receive a ration card that will allow them to get food aid at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from the swamp.
- Families who have been displaced by ongoing fighting in South Sudan arrive with what few possessions they have to register to receive a ration card that will allow them to get food aid at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from the swamp.
- Women and their children who have been displaced by ongoing fighting camp outside in the open air while they wait to be registered to receive food aid at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and WFP in Thanyang, Unity State, South Sudan Sunday, March 19th, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to get help. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from a surrounding swamp.
- Staff members from UNICEF and the World Food Programme work late into the night using a solar power lamp while counting out registration tokens at their temporary camp in Thanyang, South Sudan on March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support with Unicef and the WFP who are running a Rapid Response Mission to support the most in accessible regions affected by the ongoing civil war. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from the swamp.
- A child receives a polio vaccine from a UNICEF volunteer vaccinator at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State South Sudan Sunday, March 22, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area. After people have registered for food they take their children to be vaccinated for measles and polio. Many have never received vaccinations before.
- Young girls queue up to be registered for school at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by the World Food Programme and UNICEF in Unity State Thanyang, South Sudan Monday, March 21, 2016. Nyami a young girl who registered said "I think I am five years – that is what my mother told me. I have just registered for school. I haven’t been to school before. It is good to go to school. I came here with my mother from some place far. We walked for one day then slept outside and then walked another day to come. We had no food so we came here to get food. I have two brothers and one sister. I want to go to school because my mother can’t read or write and I want to help her. I don’t know when I last ate – it wasn't today. My favourite food is Sorghum."
- A cattle keeper guards his cows in a compound watched on by his young son in the village of Thanyang, South Sudan Monday, March 21, 2016. Ongoing insecurity in the area is fuelled by conflicts over cattle and grazing. Thousands of people in Thanyang have received no support and food security is a big problem. Nobody has planted crops for the last two years.
- Women and their children, who have been displaced by ongoing fighting, camp outside in the early morning while they wait to be registered to receive food aid at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and WFP in Thanyang, Unity State, South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to get help. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from a surrounding swamp.
- Nyaki Masha a mother of six, who has had two children who have died from hunger and one who was killed in the war, cooks an evening meal while waiting to receive support at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) in Unity State Thanyang, South Sudan Monday, March 21, 2016.( Photo/KATE HOLT)
- A young boy stands by his mosquito net that is his families only shelter at night, in Thanyang, South Sudan on March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support with Unicef South Sudan and the WFP who are running a Rapid Response Mission to support the most in accessible regions affected by the ongoing civil war. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from the swamp.
- Women and their children, who have been displaced by ongoing fighting, camp outside in the open air while they wait to be registered to receive food aid at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and WFP in Thanyang, Unity State, South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to get help. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from a surrounding swamp.
- A woman holds up a pot with mashed up water lily leaf that is her family's staple diet at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and WFP in Thanyang, Unity State, South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to get help. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from a surrounding swamp.
- A woman holds her severely malnourished child while they wait to be registered to receive food aid at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and WFP in Thanyang, Unity State, South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to get help. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from a surrounding swamp.
- A young girl and her brother eat boiled corn at an emergency food distribution site set up as part of a Rapid Response Mission (RRM) being run by UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Thanyang, Unity State South Sudan Sunday, March 20, 2016. Nearly 15,000 people from surrounding areas made their way to Thanyang to register for support. There are no health clinics, bore holes, schools or roads in the area and some people walked for two days to get there. The only water people have access to comes from the swamp.
- A female cattle keeper lights a pipe in front of her cows in the village of Thanyang, South Sudan Monday, March 21, 2016. Ongoing insecurity in the area is fuelled by conflicts over cattle and grazing. Thousands of people in Thanyang have received no support and food security is a big problem. Nobody has planted crops for the last two years.
