South Sudan and Sudan creating a demilitarized border zone is welcome news. But it must be followed much more quickly. Lives depend on it.
He claims massive torture among innocent civilians from this conflict, especially in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, in Sudan. There, the Sudanese army is fighting rebels who have been involved in the civil war for years in South Sudan.
Many thousands are starving; some try to live on roots and leaves from the forest. Sudan UN Program World Food Program UN World Food Program aid does not allow for parts of these states not under their control. . Earlier this year, Sweden’s Child Protection Agency found around 17,000 small-children in South Kordofan and more than 1,000 of them were either severely or moderate malnutrition. Nutritional deficiencies can cause permanent physical or mental damage.
Some citizens fled the Blue Nile and South Kordofan camps as they fled across the border into South Sudan. Recently, a group of nearly 900 refugees, including 175 children, walked for five days after shelling and airstrikes in their village of Blue Nile. Four died of exhaustion on the journey and the others had to stay behind.
Even those who reached the refugee camps did not stop fighting. Disease is not a fear. The influx of refugees has brought a great strain on the community’s need for hospitality. In some cases this led to fighting, even cattle raids. Aid organizations also need funding to feed and protect war victims.
There are so many humanitarian needs even from those who are removed from the fighting. Drought and prolonged poverty also take their toll, leaving many children in poor health.
The internal conflict in South Sudan, with scarce resources in many parts, makes this crisis even worse. The roads are so bad that the aid agencies set up supplies in the right places before they become impassable in the rainy season.
South Sudanese’s only hope of overcoming these challenges lies with their children. The World Food Program of the United Nations (WFP) is helping to build that future with school meals. However, this depends on voluntary funding from governments and the public. The more resources are committed to war, the less there is to build up for the future.
Amor Alogro WFP says the agency is feeding 560,261 children in Darfur in January, and expects this to remain the case for the rest of the year. WFP depends on voluntary funding for its operations, but its nursing school is short about $US 33 million dollars.
In South Sudan, WFP chief George Fominyen says the agency will feed 424,000 children with school meals, and an additional 40,000 girls will receive food at home.
WFP provides food in countries where hunger is greatest but cannot reach all the hungry children. The goal is to build a national school program in South Sudan, a difficult task that is constantly hampered by drought and conflict.
Sudan and South Sudan cannot advance their partnership through endless war and military spending. There is great distrust between the states, which is not going away anytime soon. The new demilitarized zone, once fully implemented, is at least a ray of hope.
From our history we know that sometimes these agreements can build peace. The Rush-Bagot Agreement put British and American longboats on the Great Lakes after years of war raged and border disputes still existed from Maine to Oregon.
South Sudan and Sudan need to understand that swords must be put down and disputes resolved in dialogue rather than in the field.
The article was first published as Civilians Suffering from the Conflict between Sudan and South Sudan on Blogcritic.
