Latest news with #SouthSudan
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump Wants to Make It OK to Disappear People
In May, the United States flew a group of eight migrants to Djibouti, a small state in the Horn of Africa. For weeks, the men — who are from Cuba, Laos, Mexico, Myanmar, Vietnam and South Sudan — were detained in a converted shipping container on a U.S. military base. More than a month later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the men, who had all been convicted of serious crimes, could be transferred to their final destination: South Sudan, a country on the brink of famine and civil war. Tom Homan, the border czar, acknowledged that he didn't know what happened to them once they were released from U.S. custody. 'As far as we're concerned,' he said, 'they're free.' Deporting foreign nationals to countries other than their homeland has quickly become a centerpiece of the Trump administration's immigration policy. Thousands of people have been sent to countries in the Western Hemisphere, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama. At a recent summit of West African leaders, President Trump pressed them to admit deportees from the United States, reportedly emphasizing that assisting in migration was essential to improving commercial ties with the United States. All told, administration officials have reached out to dozens of states to try to strike deals to accept deportees. The administration is making progress: Last week, it sent five men to the tiny, landlocked country of Eswatini in southern Africa after their home countries allegedly 'refused to take them back,' according to an assistant homeland security secretary, Tricia McLaughlin. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. In some ways, this is nothing new. It has become increasingly common for the world's most prosperous countries to relocate immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees to places with which they have little or no prior connection. Previous U.S. administrations from both parties have sought third-country detentions as easy fixes. In the 1990s, Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton both sent thousands of Haitian refugees to detention camps in Guantánamo Bay before forcibly repatriating most of them to Haiti. What is new about the Trump administration's deportation efforts, unlike previous European or even past U.S. attempts, is their breadth and scale, effectively transforming migrant expulsions into a tool for international leverage. By deporting foreign nationals to often unstable third countries, the Trump administration is not only creating a novel class of exiles with little hope of returning to either the United States or their country of origin, but also explicitly using these vulnerable populations as bargaining chips in a wider strategy of diplomatic and geopolitical deal-making. This strategy marks a significant evolution in a practice that has been gaining traction throughout the developed world. In the early 2000s, Australia devised the so-called Pacific Solution, an arrangement that diverted asylum seekers arriving by boat or intercepted at sea to holding centers in the island states of Nauru and Papua New Guinea in exchange for benefits, including development aid and financial support. In 2016, amid what was then the largest displacement of people in Europe since World War II, the European Union struck a deal that allowed it to send migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey through irregular means back to Turkey — to the tune of six billion euros. Some of these efforts have faced legal challenges. Starting in 2022, for example, the United Kingdom attempted to establish a program that would have automatically deported some asylum seekers and migrants entering the U.K. illegally to Rwanda, costing over half a billion pounds — more than 200 million of which were paid upfront. The British Supreme Court ruled that the policy was unlawful, and Britain's prime minister scrapped the plan last year. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Zawya
19 hours ago
- General
- Zawya
Food lifeline fading for millions in South Sudan hit by conflict and climate shocks
South Sudan's dramatic hunger crisis is worsening and millions of people there could miss out on food aid because of the worsening global humanitarian funding crisis, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. Earlier this month, the UN agency began airdropping emergency food assistance in Upper Nile State after surging conflict forced families from their homes and pushed communities to the brink of famine. Nationwide, the picture is just as alarming, with half the country's population – more than 7.7 million people - officially classified as food insecure by UN partner the IPC platform. This includes more than 83,000 face 'catastrophic' levels of food insecurity. 'The scale of suffering here does not make headlines but millions of mothers, fathers, and children are spending each day fighting hunger to survive,' said WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau, following a visit to South Sudan last week. The worst-hit areas include Upper Nile State, where fighting has displaced thousands and relief access is restricted. Two counties are at risk of tipping into famine: Nasir and Ulang. South Sudan, the world's youngest country, gained independence in 2011. This gave way to a brutal and devastating civil war which ended in 2018 thanks to a peace agreement between political rivals which has largely held. However, recent political tensions and increased violent attacks - especially in the Upper Nile State - threaten to unravel the peace agreement and return the nation to conflict. The humanitarian emergency crisis has been exacerbated by the war in neighbouring Sudan. Since April 2023, nearly 1.2 million people have crossed the border into South Sudan, many of them hungry, traumatised, and without support. WFP says that 2.3 million children across the country are now at risk of malnutrition. Crucial, yet fragile gains Despite these challenges, the UN agency has delivered emergency food aid to more than two million people this year. In Uror County, Jonglei State, where access has been consistent, all known pockets of catastrophic hunger have been eliminated. Additionally, 10 counties where conflict has eased have seen improved harvests and better food security, as people were able to return to their land. To reach those in the hardest-hit and most remote areas, WFP has carried out airdrops delivering 430 metric tons of food to 40,000 people in Greater Upper Nile. River convoys have resumed as the most efficient way to transport aid in a country with limited infrastructure. These included a 16 July shipment of 1,380 metric tons of food and relief supplies. WFP's humanitarian air service also continues flights to seven Upper Nile destinations. At the same time, a cholera outbreak in Upper Nile has placed additional pressure on the humanitarian response. Since March, WFP's logistics cluster has airlifted 109 metric tons of cholera-related supplies to affected areas in Upper Nile and Unity states. However, the UN agency says it can currently support only 2.5 million people - and often with just half-rations. Without an urgent injection of $274 million, deeper cuts to aid will begin as soon as September. 'WFP has the tools and capacity to deliver,' said Mr. Skau. 'But without funding - and without peace - our hands are tied.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
Zawya
a day ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Gondokoro equation of more people living on limited land creates tensions and calls for disarmament
In Gondokoro, some 25 kilometers east of the capital Juba, locals are concerned. An influx of livestock herders has increased competition for already scarce resources, particularly land, leading to tensions among residents, internally displaced persons and the pastoralists. 'Farms and crops have been destroyed and some of our animals stolen. It is still not safe for us to return to our homes,' says Sarah Gelerino, who lives nearby, across the Nile, after having been displaced in 2022. Lina Keji, a Gondokoro resident, adds that insecurity is not the only consequence of a larger local population. 'Our healthcare facilities have suffered from a shortage of medicines for months. Transporting a sick person to Juba, or to go there to buy medication, is very expensive, which means that walking is the only option for most of us,' she says. Government efforts to make cattle keepers from elsewhere go home mean that Gondokoro is currently a somewhat less violent place than it was a couple of years ago, but some problems do persist. Local cattle owner Achirin Mayar is blunt about it. 'In the past, we ran from lions. Now we flee from humans with guns. This must stop,' he says, referring to the proliferation of small arms that worries most people living here. To prevent a breakdown of law and order, they believe the government should disarm all civilians, without exceptions. Community director John Gabriel Ladu would welcome that but thinks that more is needed. 'Local authorities must engage with the feuding parties to resolve their differences, otherwise we won't have peace in the area,' he says. According to Captain Zakariya, the South Sudan People's Defence Forces have established checkpoints in strategic locations to better protect civilians. 'We would like community leaders and traditional chiefs to encourage displaced people to return home and start farming, and we are trying to make that safe.' Despite existing tensions, Lauro Ohiyu, who serves with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and was part of the delegation that visited Gondokoro, is optimistic. 'We were encouraged to see local authorities' consistent calls for people to return home. UNMISS and the UN family are committed to working with the State Government and partners to make this a safe place for everyone, not least for those who want to go back to where they used to live.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Zawya
a day ago
- General
- Zawya
Millions risk losing access to humanitarian food assistance amid funding slowdown in South Sudan
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has reached over two million people with life-saving assistance in South Sudan so far this year. However, a severe funding shortfall threatens ongoing support, placing millions at risk of losing aid. Below is an update on food security and WFP operations in South Sudan, including a quote from WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Carl Skau, who recently returned from South Sudan: Food Security Situation Half the population of South Sudan – 7.7 million people – are facing severe hunger. Of these, 83,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC5) – the highest classification of food insecurity – including: 32,000 people in Upper Nile State where fierce fighting since March has displaced thousands and severely limited humanitarian and Ulang counties in Upper Nile are at risk of deteriorating into famine.39,000 who have returned to South Sudan fleeing conflict in Sudan.A record 2.3 million children are at-risk of malnutrition – with conflict areas in Upper Nile and flood-affected areas such as Bentiu among the most has been achieved where conditions allow for humanitarian access:In Uror county, Jonglei state, all pockets of Catastrophic hunger (IPC5) were alleviated this year as WFP was able to consistently deliver ten other counties where conflict and insecurity subsided, crop production increased - improving the food security peace and humanitarian support are vital to cement these to raging conflict in neighboring Sudan, nearly 1.2 million people have fled to South Sudan since April 2023, many arriving hungry, malnourished and traumatised. WFP Response WFP has supported two million of the most vulnerable people in South Sudan this year, including over 300,000 impacted by the escalation of conflict in Upper Nile. In July, WFP conducted airdrops to access the most remote parts of the Greater Upper Nile region, including areas at risk of famine. To date, we have delivered 430 metric tons of food, and airdrops are ongoing to reach 40,000 people. Vital river convoys on the White Nile River have resumed after access was granted for the first time in months due to fighting. On 16 July, a river convoy carrying 1,380 mt of life-saving food assistance from WFP and other non-food items transported on behalf of the humanitarian community, departed Bor destined for Upper Nile state. River routes are the most cost-effective way to move food assistance at scale in South Sudan where infrastructure is severely limited. The WFP run United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) continues to serve seven destinations in Upper Nile including Maban, Maiwut, Malakal, Mandeng, Mathiang, Renk, and Ulang – providing life-saving cargo and access to the most remote areas. Upper Nile state has been significantly affected by a cholera outbreak. Since March, the WFP-led Logistics Cluster has airlifted 109 metric tons of cholera-related supplies to locations in Upper Nile and Unity states. Funding outlook and challenges Severe funding shortfalls mean WFP can reach just 2.5 million people with regular assistance – only 30 percent of people facing severe hunger - across the country with emergency food assistance. WFP urgently requires US$274 million to maintain support for just the 2.5 million most acutely food insecure through the end of the year – providing only 50 percent rations to these communities in most cases. Further reductions in rations and assistance will be necessary in September if additional funds are not urgently received. Limiting food aid to the most vulnerable families risks undoing recent fragile gains. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
Zawya
a day ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Three-month-long vocational trainings give Jonglei youth hope of brighter future
Many young South Sudanese women and men are involuntarily idle and desperate for any opportunities to earn qualifications that may lead to gainful employment or enable them to start their own small businesses. In Akobo and Bor, in volatile Jonglei State, a significant number of them were given such chances, with the graduates of three-month-long vocational trainings in both towns determined to grab them with both hands. 'Everyone should plant vegetables. If you do, you gain good health and a possibility to earn money without subjecting yourself to the risks of assaults we women run when we collect firewood,' says Rodah Nyathuok Lual in Akobo. There, more than 100 youth, with the majority being women, have learnt income-generating skills like farming, tailoring, hairdressing, marketing and financial management. The initiative, funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and implemented by the national non-governmental organization Community Initiative for Development, is timely as resources in Akobo, following the return of many previously conflict-displaced persons, have become scarcer than usual. 'When we work, we become role models in our communities by promoting both development and peace. When everyone is busy, there is no time or room for conflict,' says Domach Makuach Mark, another proud owner of new and marketable skills who, like all graduates, was also given a starter kit and connected to banks and other lenders for possible investments. UN peacekeepers from South Korea have given 77 of Domach's peers in Bor reason to be equally optimistic about their futures. In the state capital, they have learnt everything from wiring a building safely and repairing a leaking pipe to cultivating food and raising poultry. 'From now on, I hope people will buy eggs and chickens from me,' says Akuoch Mary Atem as she details her plan to open a poultry farm to support herself and her family. More young, aspiring women and men in and around Bor are likely to benefit from similar opportunities in the future. 'In cooperation with the government, we hope that we'll be able to expand our vocational school,' says Colonel Kwon Byung Guk, Commander of the South Korean contingent, who also revealed that his government will provide five top students with full scholarships for advanced studies in the East Asian country. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
