South Sudan’s Upper Nile state faces a worsening humanitarian crisis as over 60,000 malnourished children are at risk due to blocked aid deliveries, aid agencies warned Thursday.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have issued an urgent plea for safe humanitarian access, stressing that continued disruptions could have devastating consequences.
According to the agencies, the White Nile River, the primary corridor for delivering aid, has been inaccessible for nearly a month due to intensified fighting, resulting in critical food and nutrition supplies not reaching communities already struggling with extreme malnutrition.
Upper Nile state has some of the highest malnutrition rates in South Sudan, with over 300,000 children affected in the past year.
They stated that efforts to resupply have been repeatedly thwarted. In mid-April, barges carrying 1,000 metric tonnes of food and nutrition supplies were forced to turn back due to insecurity, while an additional 3,000 metric tonnes remain stranded in Bor, awaiting safe passage.
Security concerns have compounded the crisis, preventing aid organizations from prepositioning supplies as UNICEF’s OIC Representative, Obia Achieng, voiced alarm over the worsening situation.
“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 ongoing fighting, looting, and disruption of the river route.”
Looting has already stripped critical resources from health facilities, with nearly 2,000 cartons of nutrition supplies stolen, enough to treat 1,900 children. Without urgent intervention, WFP and UNICEF warn that the supply of essential treatment could run out by the end of May, halting life-saving programs and leaving the youngest children at grave risk.
“This is one of the most food-insecure regions in South Sudan, and every day makes a difference for a malnourished child in need of life-saving treatment,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Representative in South Sudan.
Humanitarian agencies continue to press for immediate action, stressing that if deliveries do not resume, thousands of children may face irreversible harm. “Every delay puts the lives of South Sudan’s children on the line, making urgent action more critical than ever,” McGroarty added.
