A Healthier Future for South Sudan's Families

The ongoing conflict in South Sudan has continued to drive significant humanitarian concerns, characterized by population displacement and the disruption of vital aid services. Displacement has been particularly acute in Central Equatoria and Juba, as well as in Diel (Canal Pigi), Jonglei, Tonga and Upper Nile.

Recent clashes in Diel and Tonga have resulted in the displacement of more than 7,120 people who have established settlements in areas such as Wunakot and Wunayien. In Juba, camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs) are experiencing a surge in arrivals. IDP Camp 1 has recorded nearly 1,000 new households, and IDP Camp 3 has received approximately 13,000 new individuals composed of such vulnerable populations as women, children and the elderly. IDP Camp 3 has not yet completed formal registration, relying on rough headcounts.

The ongoing clashes, especially in Diel and Tonga, have forced the suspension of critical nutrition programs, such as the Outpatient Therapeutic Program (OTP) and the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Program (TSFP), which are essential for combating acute malnutrition. Though International Medical Corps maintains maternal and newborn care in IDP Camp 3, the sheer volume of new arrivals, coupled with the reliance on rough headcounts due to registration delays, highlights the urgent need for expanded humanitarian support. Displaced populations are experiencing increased vulnerabilities and uncertainty due to the limited availability of essential services.

International Medical Corps Responds

In response to the escalating conflict and the displacement of communities from Diel, Tonga and surrounding areas, International Medical Corps is focusing on providing critical lifesaving interventions.

We have provided emergency consultations at Wunlueth Primary Health Unit Plus Center (PHCU+), delivering 200 outpatient consultations, managing 22 suspected cholera cases, vaccinating 20 children and providing an additional 120 consultations for patients in surrounding areas. In addition to medical consultations, our community health workers have provided information on cholera case identification, prevention and referrals to 530 people.

During the past week, we provided outpatient therapeutic care for 76 children with severe acute malnutrition and supported 655 children with moderate acute malnutrition through the TSFP. All admitted children received appropriate nutritional treatment per protocol. We also provided fortified-food supplementation to 575 pregnant and lactating women as part of our ongoing nutrition support activities.

We registered 49 new women and girls at our Women’s and Girls’ Safe Spaces (WGSS), providing them with tailored support and services. Through an integrated emergency protection awareness session and household outreach, we identified 32 new people in need of emergency protection support, all of whom received dignity kits and were referred to relevant protection services.To prepare for an anticipated surge in needs, we are pre-positioning medical supplies—including cholera treatment and emergency nutrition supplies—in Wunakot and Wunayien primary healthcare center, and are preparing mobile health teams for deployment to areas such as Mam1 and Kuernyang, which lack health facilities and are currently inaccessible. Additional funding will enable us to expand these pre-positioning and rapid response activities.

Despite the ongoing clashes and the evacuation of relocatable staff from Kurwai, we continue to provide routine comprehensive integrated services, including primary healthcare, mental health and psychosocial support, nutritional assistance and services addressing violence against women and girls, reaching IDPs, host communities and conflict-affected groups. Specifically, we are providing:

• primary healthcare services, including outpatient consultations and laboratory services, through PHCU+ facilities;
• critical OTP and TSFP services; and
• support for WGSS, facilitating access to critical services and information.

To sustain our critical services while ensuring the safety of our staff, we have implemented a comprehensive business continuity plan that includes:

• integrating security measures with adaptive programming;
• leveraging local capacity to implement lifesaving interventions;
• maintaining essential services during peak insecurity; and
• implementing movement restrictions and activating contingency plans as needed.

Despite the challenging security environment, our adaptive approach has enabled us to continue operations in areas like Canal Pigi and Panyikang, preventing service gaps while prioritizing both staff safety and the needs of the communities we serve.