Life-saving Irish and EU aid effort in flood-hit South Sudan

Concern, using funds from the EU, worked to treat malnourished and ill children in the East African nation where 7.1 million people (56 per cent of the population) have experienced severe acute food insecurity.  

The focus of their relief work was to provide urgent health care in remote areas of Unity State in the north of the country, which is about the size of Munster and largely under water due to severe flooding with many communities isolated. 

Concern has trained 60 community health workers who travel to remote villages and deliver health care.  

One mother who benefited from this response said: “My child is alive today because of this programme.” 

Maria Nyalada said she was very worried when her son Goi (2) developed a fever and his eyes began to swell. She was about to travel for five hours in the back of a truck on muddy roads to try and seek help in the nearest town when Concern’s health workers arrived in her village.  

“When they saw my child was in a critical condition, they gave us priority. They immediately assessed him and gave us medicine,” she said.

“I cannot explain the kind of happiness I felt. I know some children who have been sick and have had to travel far distances.” 

Concern provided healthcare to 30,000 people in South Sudan in the year up to the end of May, including the treatment of over 8,000 children with malaria, pneumonia and other potentially fatal illnesses.  

They also treated 2,500 malnourished children aged under five and a further 1,600 malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women.  

The EU-funded ‘Health and Nutrition Services’ programme was focussed in the Unity State of South Sudan, which has severe issues around food security.  

“Children are healthy and thriving today thanks to the dedication of our teams and the generous support of the European Union,” said Concern’s Country Director Zlatko Gegic. 

“Malaria and other illnesses can be treated successfully with good health care and this is also the case for children and adults who are malnourished.  

“When a child is severely malnourished they are so weak they can’t laugh or even cry – but now there are thousands who can smile again and hopefully live long healthy lives.  

“We worked with local partners like the Coalition for Humanity as we provided health care in places like Leer and Mayendit counties in Unity State. 

 “These areas have also been hit by huge floods which have left large areas under water long after the rains stopped. 

 “South Sudan is in desperate need of more support with millions more people living in extreme poverty.” 

South Sudan is also hosting over 560,000 refugees from neighbouring Sudan where a conflict that began in April last year has resulted in over two million people fleeing the country. 

For more information or to support Concern’s work visit http://www.concern.net  

For media queries or interview requests please contact Kevin Jenkinson at kevin.jenkinson@concern.net.