Clashes disrupt Western Equatoria health services
Gun battles between the National Salvation Front and SPLA-IO against SSPDF on 24 September forced medical teams to flee Kediba, Western Equatoria. Five clinics were looted, solar panels stripped and more than 30,000 civilians scattered into dense bush, local officials confirmed Tuesday (Radio Tamazuj).
Lives lost amid medicine shortages
County Health Director Ladu Simon reported three deaths, including two toddlers with severe anaemia. Malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia cases climb during the rainy season, yet pharmacies stand empty, leaving nurses to refer every emergency to Lui Hospital some 40 kilometres away.
Authorities and NGOs mobilise relief
State health chief Rose Obede said essential drugs—particularly antimalarials—are packed and mobile teams will depart as security stabilises. Médecins Sans Frontières, SPEDP and the International Committee of the Red Cross are jointly assessing routes to reach bush settlements with vaccinations and rapid-response kits.
Community appeals for sustained support
Kediba Primary Health Care Centre officer Gibson Manuru warned that paediatric deaths could rise unless supplies arrive within days. He urged leaders to place civilians “before politics” and invest in resilient infrastructure, saying the recent calm offers a narrow window to rebuild trust and clinics.