Showing posts with label Rotriak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rotriak. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

South Sudanese head home from war-torn Sudan

Photo: Displaced people and returnees trek between the towns of Rotriak and Bentiu in Rubkona County, Unity State in South Sudan as roads become impassable for vehicles due to severe flooding. Intense rains make it difficult for humanitarian partners to access displaced people with aid in most Unity State counties. It also makes it challenging to move returnees from Sudan to their final destinations as roads become impassable. OCHA/Alioune Ndiaye


Source: https://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories

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Article from World Food Programme (WFP)
By Eulalia Berlanga
Dated 3 October 2023 - here is a copy in full:

South Sudanese head home from war-torn Sudan

For many South Sudanese, Sudan was a refuge during their country’s civil war. Now WFP is assisting returnees, as they confront fresh hardship in their homeland

Aker Monychol Biar feeds her son a special food supplement to treat malnutrition. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

When Aker Monychol Biar’s husband was killed in the latter years of South Sudan’s civil war, she headed north to Sudan, seeking safety and a job to pay for her children’s education. 


“There was nothing to eat and I needed to work for my children,” says Aker, a mother of five, who hails from South Sudan’s northern county of Malakal. “I’d heard there was manual work (in Sudan) that I could do.”


Now, she is back in Malakal after fleeing another war - this time in Sudan. Aker recounts her odyssey sitting outside a temporary shelter that she shares with other displaced people, as she feeds a special food supplement to fight malnutrition to her youngest child, an 18-month-old boy.

A displaced woman receives WFP food assistance in Malakal, South Sudan. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

So far, nearly 300,000 people have crossed into South Sudan from Sudan since conflict erupted in that neighbouring country in April. The vast majority of new arrivals are South Sudanese.


Each has a variation of Aker’s story. In recent years, not just conflict, but climate shocks, soaring food prices and a depreciating currency converged to create a hunger crisis in South Sudan, forcing many families to leave in search of livelihoods and education in neighbouring Sudan.


Now, with another war raging, South Sudanese like Aker are going home - to face the same toxic mix of challenges that drove their exodus, but with even fewer resources to surmount them. As they continue streaming in, humanitarian organizations are struggling to respond as funding runs dry.

Displaced people at Malakal transit centre in South Sudan, where they face onward journeys to a new and uncertain life. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

“We are seeing families turn from one disaster to another as they flee desperate circumstances in Sudan only to find despair in South Sudan,” says World Food Programme (WFP) Representative in South Sudan, Mary-Ellen McGroarty. 


Struggling to meet vast needs

Since the beginning of Sudan’s crisis, WFP has reached a quarter of a million people crossing into South Sudan with food and cash, along with high-energy biscuits and support to treat and prevent malnutrition. But it is not enough.


“WFP is struggling to meet the vast humanitarian needs at the border,” McGroarty says, “but we lack the resources needed to provide the response that’s required.”

Many people displaced by Sudan's conflict arrive in Renk, South Sudan, where rains have turned the dusty land into mud. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

The majority of those fleeing Sudan arrive through a border crossing near Renk in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State - where the rainy season has turned the dusty land into a muddy mess.


Many of the newcomers are hungry, sick and exhausted. One in five children and more than a quarter of pregnant and breastfeeding women screened at the border are malnourished.


“It was a very hard journey. We didn’t have anything; no food, no water, no shelter, nothing. It was especially bad when it rained,” says South Sudanese mother Nyanchiu Pehok, who recently arrived in Renk with her eight children.

Nyanchiu Pehok with her son Cheng at a nutrition centre in Renk, where he was found to be acutely malnourished. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

Nyanchiu went to Khartoum last year to attend her brother’s wedding. She decided to stay, hoping to earn a better living to support her family. She worked long hours washing clothes and cleaning houses, making sure her children never went to sleep hungry. 


Then Sudan’s conflict broke out, forcing her to make the homeward journey. Nyanchiu’s youngest child, nine-month-old Cheng, became sick while the family was still in Khartoum.


The journey to South Sudan only made things worse. At a nutrition centre in Renk, Cheng tested positive for acute malnutrition.

Displaced people in Renk wait to board a boat to Malakal, South Sudan. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga 

“The humanitarian situation for returnees is unacceptable,” says WFP’s McGroarty. “It is the most vulnerable members of these communities – women, children, the elderly and people living with disabilities – who are suffering the most.”


Hard times ahead

WFP and other humanitarian agencies are working to move newly arrived families like Nyanchiu’s onwards from Renk as quickly as possible. The food-secure region has traditionally had only a bare-bones humanitarian presence. It has since been overwhelmed by the influx. 


But moving people on - and meeting their most basic humanitarian needs - has been difficult. Besides insufficient funding, onward transport has been a challenge in an area with no suitable connecting roads.

South Sudan's White Nile is the main way to move conflict-displaced people onward from Renk, as road connections are challenging. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

Instead, people are relying on the White Nile, a tributary of the Nile River. The journey by boat to Malakal takes two to three days. From there, the displaced still have a long and difficult journey to reach the communities they choose to settle in, and an even more difficult journey to rebuild their livelihoods.


A couple of weeks ago, Aker made the river journey to Malakal with her family. WFP had provided them, and thousands of other travelers in recent months, with vitamin-packed high energy biscuits - enough to tide them over for the trip. 


In Malakal, she received sorghum, oil, pulses and salt from WFP to feed her family. Funding constraints, however, mean the agency can only distribute half the amount of food families need. In practical terms, this equates to a little less than 300 grams of food per person, per day.


On a recent day, Aker cooked the pulses on an open fire as her children sat on the ground nearby. She had no money to add in spices or vegetables, but the children still ate the food with gusto.

Aker's children tuck into a simple meal made with WFP pulses. Photo: WFP/Eulalia Berlanga

“I am lucky because I received this food, but I don’t know how others will survive today if they get nothing," Aker says. "We’re facing very bad conditions and need a lot of things, but we are trying to support each other and trade what we can.” 


More families are arriving in South Sudan. Many have been living in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan for years, decades, or even generations. Now they are moving to rural areas of South Sudan, without the skills they need to restart their lives. 


They have survived difficult journeys. But for many, it’s only the beginning. 


The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing life-saving support to families at the border and at their final destination, but more resources are critical to ensure these families are not left behind. Across all of South Sudan, WFP has a US$536 million funding gap for the next six months. 


Learn more about WFP's work in South Sudan and Sudan


View original: https://www.wfp.org/stories/south-sudanese-head-home-war-torn-sudan


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Saturday, July 01, 2023

South Sudan: Unity State launch measles vaccination

Dr. Mai Puok Machar, a healthcare professional at Rubkona County Hospital, stressed the seriousness of measles as an infectious disease.


He outlined the symptoms, which include high fever (which can spike to over 104°F), cough, runny nose (coryza), red watery eyes (conjunctivitis), and a rash that typically appears 3-5 days after onset of symptoms. Read more.


Report at Radio Tamazuj - radiotamazuj.org/en
Published 27 June 2023 - here is a full copy:

Unity State launches measles vaccination for returnees

(BENTIU - 27 JUN 2023)A measles vaccination campaign has commenced in Rubkona and Koch counties in Unity State, targeting returnees, particularly those who recently fled Sudan. The initiative aims to vaccinate individuals aged five months to 15 years.


The campaign launched on Monday is being supported by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other UN agencies.


Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Duol Biem, Director General of the State Ministry of Health, said,” We have launched a measles vaccination campaign. Health workers are already in the field, and the operation is estimated to take seven days, considering the population that needs to be vaccinated in Rubkona County and Koch County.”


Biem revealed that a few measles cases were reported in both counties last week. He emphasized the importance of vaccinating all children among the returnees. Furthermore, he stated that the vaccination program would continue indefinitely due to the continuous arrival of people on a daily basis. He added, “Our focus is prevention, and this measles vaccination campaign will span one week, concluding on June 31.”


In a recent report by the Unity State health ministry, 26 cases of measles were confirmed in Rubkona, Guit, and Mayom counties.


Nyadak Gattuor, one of the returnees at Rotriak in Rubkona County, confirmed the launch of the vaccination campaign on Saturday. She shared that her children had already been vaccinated and encouraged all parents to take their children to the vaccination centres in Rotriak and Nyaruop Port.


“Two of my children have been vaccinated, and they are now protected against measles,” she said.


Meanwhile, Dr. Mai Puok Machar, a healthcare professional at Rubkona County Hospital, stressed the seriousness of measles as an infectious disease in the community.


He outlined the symptoms, which include high fever (which can spike to over 104°F), cough, runny nose (coryza), red watery eyes (conjunctivitis), and a rash that typically appears 3-5 days after the onset of symptoms.


Dr. Mai urged the community to remain vigilant and advised, “I strongly recommend that the community in Unity State ensure their children receive the measles vaccination, as it is the most effective way to prevent this disease.”


According to the World Health Organization, measles is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily spreads through direct contact and airborne transmission. However, thanks to vaccinations, the severity and mortality rates associated with measles have significantly decreased


View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/unity-state-launches-measles-vaccination-for-returnees


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Monday, June 26, 2023

South Sudan: Measles outbreak in Unity State

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NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor:

Here is information on measles copied from the website of the UK's National Health Service. Measles can spread to others easily. Stay off nursery, school, or work for at least 4 days from when the rash first appears. Also try to avoid close contact with babies, people who are pregnant and people with weakened immune systems. Measles is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin.


Measles

Measles is an infection that spreads very easily and can cause serious problems in some people. Having the MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent it.


Check if you or your child has measles

Measles usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later. Some people may also get small spots in their mouth.


Cold-like symptoms

The first symptoms of measles include:

a high temperature

a runny or blocked nose

sneezing

a cough

red, sore, watery eyes


Spots in the mouth














Credit: DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/259736/view


Small white spots may appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips a few days later. These spots usually last a few days.


The measles rash


A rash usually appears a few days after the cold-like symptoms.



Credit: DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/259737/view


The rash starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.



Credit: Mediscan / Alamy Stock Photo https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-measles-rash-52503125.html


The spots of the measles rash are sometimes raised and join together to form blotchy patches. They're not usually itchy.



Credit: phichet chaiyabin https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/measles-baby-408024505

Information:


The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin.


If you're not sure it's measles

It's very unlikely to be measles if you've had both doses of the MMR vaccine or you've had measles before.

See other rashes in babies and children


Ask for an urgent medical advice or help if:

you think you or your child may have measles

you've been in close contact with someone who has measles and you've not had measles before or you've not had 2 doses of the MMR vaccine

you've been in close contact with someone who has measles and you're pregnant – measles can be serious in pregnancy

you have a weakened immune system and think you have measles or have been in close contact with someone with measles

Measles can spread to others easily. Call your medical centre before you go in. They may suggest talking over the phone.


How to look after yourself or your child

Measles usually starts to get better in about a week.

After seeing a medical professional, there are things you can do to help ease the symptoms and reduce the risk of spreading the infection.

It can help to:

rest and drink plenty fluids, such as water, to avoid dehydration

take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve a high temperature – do not give aspirin to children under 16 years

use cotton wool soaked in warm water to gently remove any crusts from your or your child's eyes


Important

Stay off nursery, school, or work for at least 4 days from when the rash first appears.

Also try to avoid close contact with babies, people who are pregnant and people with weakened immune systems.


How to avoid spreading or catching measles

Measles is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. There are things you can do to reduce the risk of spreading or catching it.


Do

wash your hands often with soap and warm water

use tissues when you cough or sneeze

throw used tissues in the bin


Don’t

do not share cutlery, cups, towels, clothes, or bedding


Complications of measles

Measles can lead to serious problems if it spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain.

Problems that can be caused by measles include:

These problems are rare, but some people are more at risk. This includes babies and people with weakened immune systems.


Measles in pregnancy

If you get measles when you're pregnant, it could harm your baby.

It can cause:

It's important to get medical advice if you're pregnant and have been in close contact with someone who has measles.


Immediate action required:


Call for medical help if:


You or your child has measles and:

  • shortness of breath
  • a high temperature that does not come down after taking paracetamol or ibuprofen
  • confusion
  • seizures (fits)

Get vaccinated against measles

The MMR vaccine can prevent measles. It also protects you from mumps and rubella. The MMR vaccine is offered to all children in the UK. 2 doses can give lifelong protection against measles, mumps, and rubella. Ask a medical professional if you're not sure you or your child have had the vaccine. Find out more about the MMR vaccine

Page last reviewed: 21 February 2022

View original: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/


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