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Anniversary and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan

Dire security situation in the country and thousands displaced on the eve of anniversary celebrations.

A crisis response team landed in the swamplands of Jonglei state by helicopter in order to provide up to 54,000 people with emergency aid [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
A crisis response team landed in the swamplands of Jonglei state by helicopter in order to provide up to 54,000 people with emergency aid [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
By 
Ashley Hamer
9 Jul 2015

Fangak, South Sudan – The newest African nation is four years old. The government of South Sudan is due to mark this anniversary with a large and lavish celebration in the capital city of Juba on July 9.

President Salva Kiir’s photos fill billboards across Juba, proclaiming peace in a united country. But South Sudan has been convulsed by civil war since December 2013.

Military assaults on opposition-held territory since the end of April have been described by the UN as reaching a “new brutality and intensity”. Civilians are suffering tremendously at the hands of the army and militias.

Tens of thousands of families are sheltering in the vast swamplands of northern Jonglei state with limited access to food and medicine, after the army swept through neighbouring Unity state in May, leaving destruction in its wake.

Women and children describe journeys of many days in which they waded neck-deep through waterways and were shot at in the water by armed men as they fled.

The vast, thick swamplands act as some protection for the internally displaced families (IDPs) from future military incursions, but also mean it is difficult for humanitarian organisations to reach them with aid.

Access can only be gained by air, and crisis response teams are conducting emergency operations to bring assistance to the growing population of IDPs in this part of Jonglei.

Men, women and children from the community help to unload supplies including vaccines, nutritional supplements, buckets, tarpaulins, water treatment products and building materials [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Men, women and children from the community help to unload supplies including vaccines, nutritional supplements, buckets, tarpaulins, water treatment products and building materials [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
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After being told their target population was five times larger than expected - possibly 54,000 people - the humanitarian assistance team cut all their food registration cards into four parts [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
After being told their target population was five times larger than expected - possibly 54,000 people - the humanitarian assistance team cut all their food registration cards into four parts [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
UNICEF estimates that as many as 60 percent of the displaced population is under 18 years old, many of whom are unaccompanied or separated from their families by the conflict [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
UNICEF estimates that as many as 60 percent of the displaced population is under 18 years old, many of whom are unaccompanied or separated from their families by the conflict [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Nyangor Kuil cradles her twins. She has two sets. She fled an attack on her village in Unity State five weeks ago and waded for days through swamps to reach Fangak [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Nyangor Kuil cradles her twins. She has two sets. She fled an attack on her village in Unity State five weeks ago and waded for days through swamps to reach Fangak [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
This village in Fangak county is a safe haven for people fleeing government attacks in opposition-held areas of Unity and Upper Nile states. The area is protected by miles of swamp and a firm opposition defence line [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
This village in Fangak county is a safe haven for people fleeing government attacks in opposition-held areas of Unity and Upper Nile states. The area is protected by miles of swamp and a firm opposition defence line [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Nyaway Gatluok is seven months pregnant and arrived in Fangak two weeks ago. She lost her husband and one daughter during the chaos of government attacks on her village [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Nyaway Gatluok is seven months pregnant and arrived in Fangak two weeks ago. She lost her husband and one daughter during the chaos of government attacks on her village [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
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Families arrive on foot from across Fangak county to be registered and receive food and medical assistance from the emergency response team [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Families arrive on foot from across Fangak county to be registered and receive food and medical assistance from the emergency response team [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Thousands of people cross swampy waterways to reach the registration point [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Thousands of people cross swampy waterways to reach the registration point [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Many families - mainly women and children - arrived in the early hours of the morning and waited for hours to be registered and receive assistance [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Many families - mainly women and children - arrived in the early hours of the morning and waited for hours to be registered and receive assistance [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
The small emergency response team relies heavily on support and cooperation from the host community to complete the intervention. Altogether, around 150 volunteers are recruited across all services [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
The small emergency response team relies heavily on support and cooperation from the host community to complete the intervention. Altogether, around 150 volunteers are recruited across all services [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
To be eligible for services provided by the crisis team, every individual must register. To avoid duplication, a finger is marked with permanent ink [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
To be eligible for services provided by the crisis team, every individual must register. To avoid duplication, a finger is marked with permanent ink [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Families registering for assistance carry the tokens distributed by World Food Programme. [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Families registering for assistance carry the tokens distributed by World Food Programme. [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Pregnant mothers and children under five years old are screened for malnutrition. Many displaced people fleeing Unity State said they spent more than a week eating grass and roots before reaching Fangak [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Pregnant mothers and children under five years old are screened for malnutrition. Many displaced people fleeing Unity State said they spent more than a week eating grass and roots before reaching Fangak [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing to Fangak from Unity and Jonglei states where military assaults against opposition-held areas have been ongoing since April. Fangak is opposition-controlled but remote and protected by miles of waterways [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing to Fangak from Unity and Jonglei states where military assaults against opposition-held areas have been ongoing since April. Fangak is opposition-controlled but remote and protected by miles of waterways [Ashley Hamer/Al Jazeera]
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