At least eight individuals, including five children, succumbed to cholera in South Sudan, spurred by U.S. aid reductions that have severely impacted local healthcare facilities. As health clinics close, vulnerable populations are left to navigate dangerous conditions in search of treatment.
### Cholera Crisis Deepens in South Sudan Following U.S. Aid Cuts
### Cholera Crisis Deepens in South Sudan Following U.S. Aid Cuts
**Recent aid reductions have led to tragic fatalities among children and families in quest of medical treatment.**
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At least five children and three adults have tragically died from cholera in South Sudan while seeking medical assistance, amidst severe aid reductions imposed by the Trump administration, according to reports from Save the Children. The casualties all hailed from eastern regions of the country and succumbed during a difficult three-hour trek in extreme heat to access the only remaining health center.
These aid cuts, enforced in January, led to the shuttering of seven out of 27 health facilities previously supported by Save the Children in Akobo County, with 20 additional clinics operating at reduced capacity, the organization disclosed. Many local clinics now rely solely on volunteer staff and lack means to transport the sick to hospitals.
Christopher Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in South Sudan, recounted a harrowing visit to a local health facility shortly after the cuts were implemented. He described a scene of overwhelming distress where tents meant for 25 people were filled far beyond capacity, with hundreds crammed inside and many forced to sleep outside, exposed to both harsh temperatures and insect bites while fighting cholera.
Health care workers expressed their despair at managing such dire circumstances, remarking on the toll that witnessing deaths in the open took on both staff and patients. "When somebody dies,” Nyamandi shared, “the workers can only try to protect the children from seeing that scene.” The dire healthcare situation underscores the urgent need for sustained international support in a nation already afflicted by ongoing conflicts and malnutrition crises.
At least five children and three adults have tragically died from cholera in South Sudan while seeking medical assistance, amidst severe aid reductions imposed by the Trump administration, according to reports from Save the Children. The casualties all hailed from eastern regions of the country and succumbed during a difficult three-hour trek in extreme heat to access the only remaining health center.
These aid cuts, enforced in January, led to the shuttering of seven out of 27 health facilities previously supported by Save the Children in Akobo County, with 20 additional clinics operating at reduced capacity, the organization disclosed. Many local clinics now rely solely on volunteer staff and lack means to transport the sick to hospitals.
Christopher Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in South Sudan, recounted a harrowing visit to a local health facility shortly after the cuts were implemented. He described a scene of overwhelming distress where tents meant for 25 people were filled far beyond capacity, with hundreds crammed inside and many forced to sleep outside, exposed to both harsh temperatures and insect bites while fighting cholera.
Health care workers expressed their despair at managing such dire circumstances, remarking on the toll that witnessing deaths in the open took on both staff and patients. "When somebody dies,” Nyamandi shared, “the workers can only try to protect the children from seeing that scene.” The dire healthcare situation underscores the urgent need for sustained international support in a nation already afflicted by ongoing conflicts and malnutrition crises.
