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Washington Post
3 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
Civilian casualties mount in South Sudan amid fighting between army and local militias
AKOBO, South Sudan — Wiyuach Makuach sat on her bed in a dimly lit ward of a hospital near South Sudan's border with Ethiopia and rested her remaining arm in her lap as she recalled the airstrike that took her other arm and nearly killed her. 'Everything was on fire,' she said in an interview at the hospital in the border town of Akobo where she was being treated for her injuries. The bombing happened on May 3 at another hospital in the northern community of Fangak where she had traveled to be with her 25-year-old son while he sought treatment for tuberculosis. A series of strikes there, including several at the Doctors Without Borders facility, killed seven people. 'I ran outside and started rubbing mud on myself to stop the burning,' Makuach said. Makuach, 60, is just one of the dozens of civilians who aid groups say have been killed or badly injured by airstrikes in recent weeks as South Sudan's army clashes with militia groups across the country. The army says it targets only combatants, and has not commented on civilian casualties. 'The army displaced us and our families into the bush and that's when we decided we would fight back,' said Gatkuoth Wie, 24, who was wounded while fighting in northern Jonglei State. The fighting has led to U.N. warnings that South Sudan is again on the brink of civil war . Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to send to South Sudan a group of eight deportees from Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere who have been convicted in the U.S. of serious crimes, sparking a legal fight that has reached the Supreme Court. Many of those wounded in the South Sudan clashes have been transported to Akobo, where the International Committee for the Red Cross has set up a temporary surgical response. Others have been stranded for days by the fighting. Doctor Bjarte Andersen, a surgeon working with the ICRC, says that the fighting has made it difficult to transport patients that have been critically wounded. 'We know of one person who has died waiting for transportation, but there are probably more,' he said. 'The most critical cases cannot even be moved, they are not likely to survive the journey,' said Christina Bartulec, who oversees the organization's medical operation in Akobo. The ICRC does not track which patients are combatants and which are civilians. Most of the people brought to their facility are young men, several of whom told The Associated Press that they were engaged in fighting. In the past month, however, an increasing number of the victims have been women and a few children, according to hospital staff. One is Kuaynin Bol, 15, who was gravely injured by a blast as he lay asleep in his home. Surgeons have removed bone fragments from his brain and performed four operations on his leg, which was badly broken. Simmering tensions between the government and opposition groups erupted in March when a local militia called the White Army overran a military barracks in Nasir, a town in the country's northeast. The government pinned responsibility for the attack on First Vice President Riek Machar, placing him under house arrest and detaining other members of his SPLM-IO party. It also brought in Ugandan forces to support a sweeping military offensive against opposition troops and community militias across the country. That offensive centered on Upper Nile State and allegedly involved use of improvised incendiary weapons that Human Rights Watch has said killed at least 58 people, including children. In May, the fighting spread to northern Jonglei State where Fangak is located, a region previously unaffected by the violence, after the government alleged several barges were hijacked by opposition forces there. Isaac Pariel, a member of Machar's opposition party who is the local chairman in Fangak of the government's Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, said that at least 25 civilians have been killed this month. But the true toll is likely higher, as much of the fighting has taken place in remote areas that are inaccessible to medical workers. One bombardment in the village of Wichmon on May 15 killed 12 people including 8 children, according to local authorities and one eyewitness. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify those figures. The government has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes. Army spokesman General Lul Ruai Koang told The Associated Press he was not authorized to comment on 'ongoing military operations across the country.' The violence has been devastating for civilians already reeling from successive humanitarian crises. Much of the fighting has taken place in South Sudan's Greater Upper Nile region, a vast floodplain that in recent years has been ravaged by extreme weather, disease, and severe food insecurity. 'The people here are moving all the time, just during the night,' said William Nyuon, a Fangak resident. 'They fear the plane will come and bomb them again.' ___ For more on Africa and development: ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Civilian casualties mount in South Sudan amid fighting between army and local militias
Wiyuach Makuach sat on her bed in a dimly lit ward of a hospital near South Sudan's border with Ethiopia and rested her remaining arm in her lap as she recalled the airstrike that took her other arm and nearly killed her. 'Everything was on fire,' she said in an interview at the hospital in the border town of Akobo where she was being treated for her injuries. The bombing happened on May 3 at another hospital in the northern community of Fangak where she had traveled to be with her 25-year-old son while he sought treatment for tuberculosis. A series of strikes there, including several at the Doctors Without Borders facility, killed seven people. 'I ran outside and started rubbing mud on myself to stop the burning,' Makuach said. Makuach, 60, is just one of the dozens of civilians who aid groups say have been killed or badly injured by airstrikes in recent weeks as South Sudan's army clashes with militia groups across the country. The army says it targets only combatants, and has not commented on civilian casualties. 'The army displaced us and our families into the bush and that's when we decided we would fight back,' said Gatkuoth Wie, 24, who was wounded while fighting in northern Jonglei State. The fighting has led to U.N. warnings that South Sudan is again on the brink of civil war. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump 's administration is seeking to send to South Sudan a group of eight deportees from Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere who have been convicted in the U.S. of serious crimes, sparking a legal fight that has reached the Supreme Court. Many of those wounded in the South Sudan clashes have been transported to Akobo, where the International Committee for the Red Cross has set up a temporary surgical response. Others have been stranded for days by the fighting. Doctor Bjarte Andersen, a surgeon working with the ICRC, says that the fighting has made it difficult to transport patients that have been critically wounded. 'We know of one person who has died waiting for transportation, but there are probably more,' he said. 'The most critical cases cannot even be moved, they are not likely to survive the journey,' said Christina Bartulec, who oversees the organization's medical operation in Akobo. The ICRC does not track which patients are combatants and which are civilians. Most of the people brought to their facility are young men, several of whom told The Associated Press that they were engaged in fighting. In the past month, however, an increasing number of the victims have been women and a few children, according to hospital staff. One is Kuaynin Bol, 15, who was gravely injured by a blast as he lay asleep in his home. Surgeons have removed bone fragments from his brain and performed four operations on his leg, which was badly broken. Simmering tensions between the government and opposition groups erupted in March when a local militia called the White Army overran a military barracks in Nasir, a town in the country's northeast. The government pinned responsibility for the attack on First Vice President Riek Machar, placing him under house arrest and detaining other members of his SPLM-IO party. It also brought in Ugandan forces to support a sweeping military offensive against opposition troops and community militias across the country. That offensive centered on Upper Nile State and allegedly involved use of improvised incendiary weapons that Human Rights Watch has said killed at least 58 people, including children. In May, the fighting spread to northern Jonglei State where Fangak is located, a region previously unaffected by the violence, after the government alleged several barges were hijacked by opposition forces there. Isaac Pariel, a member of Machar's opposition party who is the local chairman in Fangak of the government's Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, said that at least 25 civilians have been killed this month. But the true toll is likely higher, as much of the fighting has taken place in remote areas that are inaccessible to medical workers. One bombardment in the village of Wichmon on May 15 killed 12 people including 8 children, according to local authorities and one eyewitness. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify those figures. The government has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes. Army spokesman General Lul Ruai Koang told The Associated Press he was not authorized to comment on 'ongoing military operations across the country.' The violence has been devastating for civilians already reeling from successive humanitarian crises. Much of the fighting has taken place in South Sudan's Greater Upper Nile region, a vast floodplain that in recent years has been ravaged by extreme weather, disease, and severe food insecurity. 'The people here are moving all the time, just during the night,' said William Nyuon, a Fangak resident. 'They fear the plane will come and bomb them again.' ___ ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Health
- Associated Press
Civilian casualties mount in South Sudan amid fighting between army and local militias
AKOBO, South Sudan (AP) — Wiyuach Makuach sat on her bed in a dimly lit ward of a hospital near South Sudan's border with Ethiopia and rested her remaining arm in her lap as she recalled the airstrike that took her other arm and nearly killed her. 'Everything was on fire,' she said in an interview at the hospital in the border town of Akobo where she was being treated for her injuries. The bombing happened on May 3 at another hospital in the northern community of Fangak where she had traveled to be with her 25-year-old son while he sought treatment for tuberculosis. A series of strikes there, including several at the Doctors Without Borders facility, killed seven people. 'I ran outside and started rubbing mud on myself to stop the burning,' Makuach said. Makuach, 60, is just one of the dozens of civilians who aid groups say have been killed or badly injured by airstrikes in recent weeks as South Sudan's army clashes with militia groups across the country. The army says it targets only combatants, and has not commented on civilian casualties. 'The army displaced us and our families into the bush and that's when we decided we would fight back,' said Gatkuoth Wie, 24, who was wounded while fighting in northern Jonglei State. The fighting has led to U.N. warnings that South Sudan is again on the brink of civil war. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to send to South Sudan a group of eight deportees from Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere who have been convicted in the U.S. of serious crimes, sparking a legal fight that has reached the Supreme Court. Many of those wounded in the South Sudan clashes have been transported to Akobo, where the International Committee for the Red Cross has set up a temporary surgical response. Others have been stranded for days by the fighting. Doctor Bjarte Andersen, a surgeon working with the ICRC, says that the fighting has made it difficult to transport patients that have been critically wounded. 'We know of one person who has died waiting for transportation, but there are probably more,' he said. 'The most critical cases cannot even be moved, they are not likely to survive the journey,' said Christina Bartulec, who oversees the organization's medical operation in Akobo. The ICRC does not track which patients are combatants and which are civilians. Most of the people brought to their facility are young men, several of whom told The Associated Press that they were engaged in fighting. In the past month, however, an increasing number of the victims have been women and a few children, according to hospital staff. One is Kuaynin Bol, 15, who was gravely injured by a blast as he lay asleep in his home. Surgeons have removed bone fragments from his brain and performed four operations on his leg, which was badly broken. Simmering tensions between the government and opposition groups erupted in March when a local militia called the White Army overran a military barracks in Nasir, a town in the country's northeast. The government pinned responsibility for the attack on First Vice President Riek Machar, placing him under house arrest and detaining other members of his SPLM-IO party. It also brought in Ugandan forces to support a sweeping military offensive against opposition troops and community militias across the country. That offensive centered on Upper Nile State and allegedly involved use of improvised incendiary weapons that Human Rights Watch has said killed at least 58 people, including children. In May, the fighting spread to northern Jonglei State where Fangak is located, a region previously unaffected by the violence, after the government alleged several barges were hijacked by opposition forces there. Isaac Pariel, a member of Machar's opposition party who is the local chairman in Fangak of the government's Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, said that at least 25 civilians have been killed this month. But the true toll is likely higher, as much of the fighting has taken place in remote areas that are inaccessible to medical workers. One bombardment in the village of Wichmon on May 15 killed 12 people including 8 children, according to local authorities and one eyewitness. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify those figures. The government has not officially claimed responsibility for the strikes. Army spokesman General Lul Ruai Koang told The Associated Press he was not authorized to comment on 'ongoing military operations across the country.' The violence has been devastating for civilians already reeling from successive humanitarian crises. Much of the fighting has taken place in South Sudan's Greater Upper Nile region, a vast floodplain that in recent years has been ravaged by extreme weather, disease, and severe food insecurity. 'The people here are moving all the time, just during the night,' said William Nyuon, a Fangak resident. 'They fear the plane will come and bomb them again.' ___ For more on Africa and development: ___ The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-05-2025
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Rights Chief Urges Warring Sides in South Sudan to 'Pull Back from the Brink'
The United Nations rights chief urged on Friday for warring sides in South Sudan to pull back from the brink, warning that the human rights situation risks further deterioration as fighting intensifies. "The escalating hostilities in South Sudan portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, and undermining the country's fragile peace process,' said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, Reuters said. "All parties must urgently pull back from the brink," he added. Since May 3 fighting has intensified, with OHCHR citing reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments and river and ground offensives by the South Sudan People's Defense Forces SSPDF on Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA-IO) positions in parts of Fangak in Jonglei State and in Tonga County in Upper Nile. At least 75 civilians were killed and 78 others injured by the fighting, which displaced thousands from their homes between May 3-20, the agency said. Civilian-populated areas have been targeted, including a medical facility operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), it added.
Al Arabiya
23-05-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
UN rights chief urges warring sides in South Sudan to ‘pull back from the brink'
The United Nations human rights chief on Friday called on all parties in South Sudan to de-escalate fighting, warning that the worsening conflict threatens to further unravel the country's fragile peace process and deepen an already dire humanitarian crisis. 'The escalating hostilities in South Sudan portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, and undermining the country's fragile peace process,' said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 'All parties must urgently pull back from the brink,' he added. According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the violence has intensified since May 3, with reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments as well as river and ground offensives by the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) targeting Sudan People's Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) positions in parts of Fangak in Jonglei State and Tonga County in Upper Nile. The agency said at least 75 civilians have been killed and 78 others injured in the violence between May 3 and May 20. Thousands have been displaced, and civilian-populated areas — including a medical facility operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) — have come under attack.
