Latest news with #Mary-EllenMcGroarty
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
South Sudan clashes block aid to 60,000 malnourished children
FILE PHOTO: A 25-year-old mother holds her severely malnourished child at the paediatric ward of the Mother of Mercy Hospital in Gidel, South Kordofan, Sudan, June 25, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo NAIROBI - Fighting along the Nile River in South Sudan has prevented humanitarian aid from reaching more than 60,000 malnourished children in the northeast of the country for almost a month, two United Nations agencies said on Thursday. The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) and agency for children (UNICEF) said they expect nutrition supplies for Upper Nile State, which has some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the country, to run out by the end of May. "Children are already the first to suffer during emergencies. If we can't get nutrition supplies through, we are likely to see escalating malnutrition in areas already at breaking point," Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP's representative in South Sudan, said in a joint WFP-UNICEF statement. The Nile is a crucial transport artery in South Sudan because the impoverished country has few paved roads and a lot of challenging terrain, particularly during the rainy season when many roads become impassable. The agencies did not say which fighting had disrupted the route of their aid barges, but government forces have been fighting an ethnic Nuer militia known as the White Army in areas near the Nile since March. The battles led to the arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar and a spiralling political crisis, which the United Nations has warned could reignite the brutal civil war that ended in 2018. In mid-April, barges carrying 1,000 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies bound for Upper Nile State were forced to return due to insecurity, WFP and UNICEF said. The agencies decided against pre-positioning supplies in health centres and warehouses in insecure areas because they could have become targets for looting, they said. "We have reluctantly taken the unprecedented step of holding back supplies for fear that they will not reach the children that so desperately need them, due to the ongoing fighting, looting and disruption of the river route," said Obia Achieng, UNICEF's representative. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
TimesLIVE
08-05-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
South Sudan clashes block aid to 60,000 malnourished children
Fighting along the Nile River in South Sudan has prevented humanitarian aid reaching more than 60,000 malnourished children in the northeast of the country for almost a month, two UN agencies said on Thursday. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) and agency for children (Unicef) said they expect nutrition supplies for Upper Nile State, which has some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the country, to run out by the end of May. 'Children are already the first to suffer during emergencies. If we can't get nutrition supplies through, we are likely to see escalating malnutrition in areas already at breaking point,' Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP's representative in South Sudan, said in a joint WFP-Unicef statement. The Nile is a crucial transport artery in South Sudan because the impoverished country has few paved roads and a lot of challenging terrain, particularly during the rainy season when many roads become impassable. The agencies did not say which fighting had disrupted the route of their aid barges, but government forces have been fighting an ethnic Nuer militia known as the White Army in areas near the Nile since March. The battles led to the arrest of First Vice-President Riek Machar and a spiralling political crisis, which the UN has warned could reignite the brutal civil war that ended in 2018. In mid-April, barges carrying 1,000 tonnes of food and nutrition supplies bound for Upper Nile State were forced to return due to insecurity, WFP and Unicef said. The agencies decided against pre-positioning supplies in health centres and warehouses in insecure areas because they could have become targets for looting, they said. 'We have reluctantly taken the unprecedented step of holding back supplies for fear that they will not reach the children that so desperately need them, due to the ongoing fighting, looting and disruption of the river route,' said Obia Achieng, Unicef's representative.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Sudan clashes block aid to 60,000 malnourished children
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Fighting along the Nile River in South Sudan has prevented humanitarian aid from reaching more than 60,000 malnourished children in the northeast of the country for almost a month, two United Nations agencies said on Thursday. The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) and agency for children (UNICEF) said they expect nutrition supplies for Upper Nile State, which has some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the country, to run out by the end of May. "Children are already the first to suffer during emergencies. If we can't get nutrition supplies through, we are likely to see escalating malnutrition in areas already at breaking point," Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP's representative in South Sudan, said in a joint WFP-UNICEF statement. The Nile is a crucial transport artery in South Sudan because the impoverished country has few paved roads and a lot of challenging terrain, particularly during the rainy season when many roads become impassable. The agencies did not say which fighting had disrupted the route of their aid barges, but government forces have been fighting an ethnic Nuer militia known as the White Army in areas near the Nile since March. The battles led to the arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar and a spiralling political crisis, which the United Nations has warned could reignite the brutal civil war that ended in 2018. In mid-April, barges carrying 1,000 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies bound for Upper Nile State were forced to return due to insecurity, WFP and UNICEF said. The agencies decided against pre-positioning supplies in health centres and warehouses in insecure areas because they could have become targets for looting, they said. "We have reluctantly taken the unprecedented step of holding back supplies for fear that they will not reach the children that so desperately need them, due to the ongoing fighting, looting and disruption of the river route," said Obia Achieng, UNICEF's representative.
Zawya
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
South Sudan: Conflict and hunger push millions to the brink
Hunger in South Sudan's northeast has reached a critical tipping point, with nearly 7.7 million people facing severe food insecurity as conflict escalates, the UN's emergency food relief agency warned on Wednesday. The situation is especially dire for returnees fleeing violence in Sudan, who now account for nearly half of those experiencing catastrophic hunger levels. The influx of over 1.1 million displaced people into already fragile communities has overwhelmed resources and relief efforts, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). With the pre-harvest lean season underway, conditions are expected to deteriorate further. WFP is calling on donors to step up support to avert a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. 'This is among the worst levels of food insecurity that we have ever seen in the country since the independence,' Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Country Director in South Sudan, told journalists in New York via video link from the country. 'We are witnessing the devastating impact of the conflict in driving hunger. Communities have fled with just the clothes on their backs, and already meager livelihoods and seasonal coping strategies are abandoned.' Years of volatility South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but the world's youngest nation has been plagued by conflict and instability ever since. A civil war erupted in 2013 between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with his former deputy, Riek Machar. The war – marked by ethnic violence, mass atrocities and widespread humanitarian crisis – lasted until a fragile peace deal was signed in 2018. There are fears of a relapse into the civil war following skyrocketing tensions between the South Sudanese leaders, including the reported house arrest of Mr. Machar at the end of last month. Conflict and disease The crisis extends beyond hunger with a cholera outbreak now underway in volatile Upper Nile state. In response, WFP has airlifted 35 metric tons of aid to affected areas, with additional stock awaiting transport once security conditions allow. The agency also aims to deliver food assistance to more than 450,000 people in the region, focusing on those facing emergency (IPC4) and catastrophic levels (ICP5) of hunger, tracked by the UN-supported food security classification system known as the IPC. However, active conflict is hampering aid efforts and food distributions have been paused in six counties due to active fighting and insecurity. '[We and our] partners have the food ready to deliver and distribute once conditions allow,' it said. Women at the crossroads As conflict spreads and hunger deepens, women and girls are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Many have been forced to flee insecurity multiple times. Recurrent, relentless climate shocks are also taking a particularly heavy toll, leaving them at risk of being coerced into sex work, trafficked or sexually assaulted as they venture far and often alone in search of food, water and work. To respond to growing needs, UN agencies – such as reproductive health agency, UNFPA – are operating safe spaces to provide not only shelter but also counselling, skills training and vital information on gender-based violence prevention. Funding cuts have meant at least two safe spaces are set to close by May, leaving thousands of women and girls without access to support. 'In the face of this crisis, every dollar matters, every intervention counts, and every life saved is a step toward peace,' said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem. UNFPA urgently needs $8.8 million to sustain lifesaving services but has received just a fraction of that amount. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
Arab News
09-04-2025
- Health
- Arab News
South Sudan at ‘critical tipping point' as extreme hunger reaches its peak, World Food Program warns
NEW YORK CITY: South Sudan is grappling with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as escalating violence in the country, particularly in the conflict-ridden Greater Upper Nile region, exacerbates a dire situation of food insecurity, the UN's food agency said on Wednesday. The World Food Program warned that nearly 7.7 million people, more half of the country's population, are currently facing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger. Mary-Ellen McGroarty, the WFP's representative and country director for South Sudan, painted a grim picture of the deteriorating situation as she highlighted the compounded challenges the country faces as it enters its annual lean season, the time of year when hunger reaches its peak. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes by the violence, political fragmentation and security instability, including more than 100,000 in the Upper Nile region alone. 'These are some of the most vulnerable and food-insecure areas of South Sudan, and the impact of conflict is only making matters worse,' McGroarty said. More than 40 percent of the 7.7 million food-insecure people are concentrated in the Greater Upper Nile area, she added, where more than 60 percent of the population struggles to find a meal. The worsening violence has also hindered humanitarian efforts, forcing the WFP to pause its operations in several regions. In total, more than 213,000 people in six counties are cut off from critical food aid. These areas, which lack roads or transportation infrastructure, rely on deliveries by river and air but active conflict means access is nearly impossible. 'The situation is catastrophic,' McGroarty said. 'We've seen over 100 metric tons of food, including vital nutrition supplies for children, looted during recent clashes. 'These resources, which we cannot replace, were meant to feed children in a country where 17 percent of children are already malnourished.' Beyond hunger, South Sudan is also grappling with a cholera outbreak that has compounded the public health crisis. The ongoing violence, coupled with mass displacement, is driving the spread of disease, further endangering the lives of vulnerable populations. The war in neighboring Sudan adds an additional level of complexity. Since the conflict there began, more than 1.1 million refugees and South Sudanese returnees have fled across the border, many of them arriving with few or no possessions. McGroarty said that these individuals, who have endured harrowing journeys, add to the already immense pressure on resources and infrastructure in South Sudan. 'The economic toll of the Sudanese conflict is also being felt here,' she added. 'Food prices in the border states have soared, with some rising by as much as 200 percent. Disrupted supply chains are forcing us to bring food from the south, significantly increasing costs.' South Sudan's vulnerability to climate change, manifested in both severe flooding and droughts, has further eroded the resilience of the country, leaving it ill-equipped to cope with escalating conflict. 'We are at a critical tipping point,' McGroarty warned. 'The people of South Sudan, already trapped in the cycle of conflict and hunger, deserve freedom from these crises. They need our attention and support now more than ever.' With humanitarian resources stretched thin and urgent needs continuing to rise, McGroarty told Arab News that the WFP needs $396 million in funding to enable it to reach 4.5 million people in need. 'That means, out of 7.7 million people, we will be leaving people behind,' she said. Her organization needs to 'preposition the food stocks as we approach the rainy season, so that communities that are food insecure have resources throughout (that) season,' she added.
