By Adeyemi Adekunle
South Sudan, already grappling with internal strife and systemic poverty, is now facing a dual crisis that threatens to overwhelm its fragile infrastructure. The country is absorbing an unrelenting influx of refugees fleeing the brutal conflict in Sudan while battling a rapidly escalating cholera outbreak that has left scores dead and thousands infected.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned this week that the situation is reaching a breaking point, describing it as “completely overwhelming.” According to the medical charity, up to 5,000 people are crossing into South Sudan daily, though the United Nations estimates this figure could be as high as 10,000. The refugees are fleeing the devastating violence in Sudan, where a power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has spiraled into one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies. Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, tens of thousands of people have been killed, and millions displaced.
In Renk, a South Sudanese border town serving as a critical transit point, MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross are struggling to provide care. The U.N. reports that around 17,000 people are crammed into a transit center there, with thousands more waiting under makeshift shelters or no shelter at all. MSF emergency coordinator Emanuele Montobbio described the scene as dire.
“Facilities are expanding, but over 100 wounded patients, many with serious injuries, still await surgery,” Montobbio said.
Among those seeking refuge is Alhida Hammed, who fled Sudan’s Blue Nile state after his village came under attack. He recounted the terrifying ordeal of blazing homes and chaos as neighbors fled in every direction. Shot during the assault, Hammed managed to escape but now finds himself living under a tree in Renk, with no shelter and little hope.
“Home is no longer a home. It is filled with bad memories,” he said, his voice heavy with grief.
The influx of refugees has placed enormous strain on South Sudan, a young nation still reeling from years of internal conflict, endemic poverty, and climate disasters. The country’s limited resources are being stretched to the brink, with the ongoing cholera outbreak exposing the vulnerabilities of its health care system.
In Unity State alone, MSF reports that 92 people have died since the outbreak began. In Bentiu, a city hosting thousands of internally displaced people, more than 1,200 patients have been treated in the past four weeks. The situation is equally dire in camps near the capital, Juba, where tens of thousands of displaced South Sudanese are packed into unsanitary conditions. MSF said it had treated 1,700 suspected cholera cases in these camps, with 25 deaths reported by local communities.
“What we are witnessing is not just a cholera outbreak — it is the result of systemic neglect,” said Mamman Mustapha, MSF’s head of mission in South Sudan. He painted a grim picture of mountains of uncollected waste, broken latrines, and raw sewage contaminating drinking water.
“These conditions have left camp inhabitants at death’s door,” Mustapha said. Without immediate intervention, he warned, the number of cholera cases is likely to “skyrocket in the coming days and weeks.”
South Sudan’s public health crisis is compounded by the ongoing challenges of managing internally displaced populations.
Over two million South Sudanese remain in camps across the country due to the lingering effects of civil war and climate-driven disasters, including devastating floods. These camps, meant to provide safety, have become breeding grounds for disease due to overcrowding and inadequate sanitation.
The situation in Renk and other border areas reflects the regional spillover effects of Sudan’s conflict. Refugees arriving in South Sudan are often wounded or suffering from severe malnutrition after weeks of harrowing journeys.
Many bring with them stories of unimaginable violence, with entire villages wiped out and families torn apart. For those who make it across the border, survival is an uphill battle as they face food shortages, unsafe water, and limited access to medical care.
Meanwhile, the international response remains insufficient to meet the growing needs. Humanitarian organizations on the ground are working tirelessly but are hampered by funding gaps and logistical challenges. The United Nations and aid groups have repeatedly called for increased support, but the scale of the crisis far outpaces available resources.
For South Sudan, the convergence of these crises underscores the interconnectedness of regional instability. The country’s fragile health and social systems are ill-equipped to handle such a massive influx of refugees, let alone the simultaneous outbreak of a deadly disease. As refugees continue to pour in and cholera cases mount, the urgency for coordinated international action grows ever more critical.
The stories of people like Alhida Hammed highlight the human toll of these overlapping emergencies. Having lost everything in Sudan, he now finds himself in a country struggling to stand on its own, with no clear path forward. Yet, his resilience mirrors that of countless others who have fled unspeakable violence, clinging to the hope that a better future may one day emerge from the chaos.
In the meantime, the people of South Sudan and the refugees in their midst continue to face life-threatening conditions, as aid workers and officials scramble to respond to an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. For a region already marked by decades of suffering, the stakes could not be higher. Without immediate and substantial intervention, the cost in human lives is certain to rise.
