South Sudan | Page 7

Currently in South Sudan:

The Hope For Peace

alking through the streets in South Sudan, you would be shocked in what you would see. You would see trash, dead bodies, sad faces, and burnt down medical facilities. You would notice the look on the peoples faces, the look of sorrow, because of how bad things are around them.

There are many tragic events happening currently in South Sudan. South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan on July 9th, 2011, as the outcome of a 2005 peace deal that ended Africa's longest ongoing civil war. (Ilya Gridneff) An overwhelming majority of South Sudanese people voted in a January 2011 to become Africa's first new country. The event that is my main focus is the outcome of the war in South Sudan.

South Sudan has a history of terrible violence. The war has been a big issue in South Sudan, Africa. The united nations said it that an estimated 3.7 people are in need of food because of the civil conflict there. This clearly needs to stop, but it’s not just that easy. Violence erupted in Juba, the capital of South Sudan on December 15th, 2013, starting violence followed by a political power struggle between President Salva Kiir, and his ex deputy Riek Machar. This violence in South Sudan has now killed thousands of people and displaced around 860,000! ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian, 2013) Can you imagine 860,000 people living without a home?

This has had major effects on the countries economy. Markets have been disrupted. The number of those in need of food are around a third of South Sudan's current population! (Lisa Schlein, 2013) In the city of Malakal, some civilians had made a warehouse where aid was being kept and helped themselves, and most of it was made by desperate people in need of aid.

A very tragic thing is that patients in a hospital in South Sudan have been shot to death in their hospital beds, and medical facilities have been burned to the ground, which has forced the aid group Doctors Without Borders to examine its operations. A ceasefire was agreed recently between the two sides. In January, thousands of residents fled, when fighting broke out in Leer, which is the home town of the rebel groups leader, and former Vice President Riek Machar. Doctors Without Borders has worked in Leer for 25 years, and had to evacuate staff while 240 others hid in the bush. Then they returned, to find their facility destroyed, that served 300,000 people. The fact that these South Sudanese people are getting affected so much, especially people who need those medical facilities is really upsetting. I do wonder what will end up happening in South Sudan. Although these issues are a big problem, I believe they can be resolved.

Ilya Gridneff (2014, February 26). South Sudan: Patients Shot Dead In Hospital Beds. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/south-sudan-patients-shot-in-hospitals_n_4858341.html

Marie-Louise Gumuchian (2013, December 17). 'Heavy' death toll as thousands flee South Sudan violence, U.N. says. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/17/world/africa/south-sudan-violence/

Schlein, L. (2013, March 7). Refugees in South Sudan Face Food, Health Crisis. Retrieved from http://www.voanews.com/content/refugees-in-south-sudan-face-food-health-crisis/1866541.html

Al Arabiya News (2014, March 5). Fighting breaks out in South Sudan capital. Retrieved from http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/03/05/U-N-warns-of-possible-humanitarian-disaster-in-South-Sudan.html

By Isabel Berman

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