By Jacob Zocherman – After decades of civil war in Sudan, the south part of the country broke away in 2011 and South Sudan was born. Around 3 million people had died during the bloody struggle. And when peace finally arrived between the Muslim north and the Christian south, it did not last long. In December 2013 a political struggle between president Salva Kiir and vice president Riek Machar, escalated to armed conflict between the two biggest tribes in the country, the Dinkas (Kiir) and the Nuers (Machar). The international community helplessly watched when the country imploded in a new civil war. In 2014, 1,5 millions were forced to flee their homes, a famine was approaching and tribal motivated killings between Dinkas and Nuers became reality. The people in South Sudan yet again faced enormous challenges because of war. To find a way to overcome the suffering, they looked for the future. With hopes of a brighter tomorrow.
Ganyiel, Unity State, South Sudan, 16 April 2014: Mary Nyachak Dingding, one of thousands of people who have fled violence and fighting in Bentiu and arrived in Ganyiel. Having lost her eyesight many years ago, she has now lost everything. Her only chance of survival is to rely on the charity of others. She sleeps in a hut made from straw, and soon her shelter will be flooded and perhaps washed away.Ganyiel, Unity State, South Sudan, 16 April 2014: An elderly woman, too weak to get up from the floor of her straw hut. The seasonal rains are soon here and some of the areas where around 10 000 refugees have settled after fleeing violence in Bentiu, are already flooded. Without food and shelter, they rely on aid from the UN and voluntary organisations. But the rains and continued fighting will completely cut off the town of Ganyiel and the surrounding villages. The only way to bring in aid during the rainy season is to drop it from air.Ganyiel, Unity State, South Sudan, 16 April 2014: Water lilies. The seeds are dried, ground and mixed with water to make porridge. The flower seeds is the only source of food for many of the refugees who have fled to Ganyiel. Without food and shelter, they rely on aid from the UN and voluntary organisations. But the rains and continued fighting will completely cut off the town Ganyiel and the surrounding villages. The only way to bring in aid during the rainy season is to drop it from air. Food scarcity has reached emergency levels (four out of five on the IPC scale, or Integrated Food Security Phase) in many parts of the country. If nothing is done, the situation will deteriorate to starvation (five out of five on the IPC scale).Ganyiel, Unity State, South Sudan, 16 April 2014: An unusual delivery. This time, tarpaulins are distributed. Soon, the rains will make it impossible for planes and helicopters to land, as the landing strip in Ganyiel will be flooded.Ganyiel, Unity State, South Sudan, 17 April 2014: Women waiting in line for a chance to get one of the tarpaulins handed out by an aid organisation. Poor infrastructure makes it difficult for relief efforts to reach the people in Ganyiel and the surrounding areas. Many people have to return empty-handed from the distribution, as there are many more people in need of shelter than there are tarpaulins.Ganyiel, Unity State, South Sudan, 17 April 2014: A woman is waiting in line for a chance to get one of the tarpaulins handed out by an aid organisation. Poor infrastructure makes it difficult for relief efforts to reach the people in Ganyiel and the surrounding areas. Many people have to return empty-handed from the distribution, as there are many more people in need of shelter than there are tarpaulins.Ganyiel, Unity State, South Sudan, April 21 2014: Rebbecca Nyaknme fled the fighting in Bentiu together with her family. Only her and two children arrived after they were separated from the husband and the other two children. Rebbecca and the two children live in simple straw huts on the outskirts of Ganyiel. Having lost everything they own, they arrived in Ganyiel empty-handed. Their survival relies on foreign aid, and without emergency food they will starve.Malakal, Upper Nile, South Sudan, April 30, 2014: A woman carrying a bed and some belongings in the once bustling town of Malakal. The town is now abandoned and most buildings have been torched to the ground after months of heavy fighting. Only government soldiers are in town except for some people returning to collect what little remains in their former homes. Malakal has been the center of the conflict since December 2013.There is still fighting and tension in the area and the town has changed hands several times.Malakal, Upper Nile, South Sudan, April 30, 2014: Currently 18 000 people have sought refuge at the UNMISS compound in Malakal. They live in cramped conditions and when the rains start the site will be turned into a muddy swamp. Government soldiers are controlling the once bustling town of Malakal, a place now abandoned. Buildings have been torched to the ground after months of heavy fighting. Only a few people are found in the wreckage, returning to collect what little remains of their former homes. Malakal has been the center of the conflict since December 2013. There is still fighting and tension in the area and the town has changed hands several times.Renk, Upper Nile, South Sudan, May 1, 2014: A woman walks past a tank guarding the small UNMISS compound outside the town of Renk. Renk, which lays only an hour’s drive from the Sudanese border, witnessed heavy fighting at the end of April and the first week of May. The town is strategically important being close to the oil fields in the area.Renk, Upper Nile, South Sudan, May 2, 2014: A government soldier on look-out in the town of Renk, which lies only an hour's drive from the Sudanese border. It witnessed heavy fighting at the end of April and the first week of May. The town is strategically important, because of its proximity to the oil fields in the area, and has changed hands numerous times since the start of the conflict in December 2013.Malakal, Upper Nile, South Sudan, May 1, 2014: People waiting at the airstrip in Malakal, desperate to leave the once bustling town of Malakal. The town is now abandoned and most of the buildings have been torched to the ground after months of heavy fighting. Only a few people are seen on the streets, returning to collect the few belongings that remain in their former homes. Malakal has been the center of the conflict since December 2013. There is still fighting and tension in the area and the town has changed hands several times. Many of the people at the airstrip have waited for weeks for a chance to get airlifted to Juba, but most likely they are waiting in vain.Unity State, South Sudan May 5, 2014: The rains have already affected several areas, making it difficult for airplanes to bring in supplies and humanitarian aid.Nyal, Unity State, South Sudan, May 5, 2014: James Mading suffers from HIV. He is in the final stage of life, according the medical staff at the local clinic in Nyal, and he is not able to get out of bed. He is constantly watched by his first wife. There are no antiretroviral drugs available at the clinic and chances of survival for James are slim.Nyal, Unity State, South Sudan, May 5, 2014: Since the start of the conflict in December 2013 the number of causalities is only a rough estimate. Figures ranging from 10 000 to 30 000 are used. The wounded estimated to be in their thousands. Nyagak Diew is treated in a clinic in Nyal, south of Leer and Bentiu, the two later locations where heavy fighting has been taking place since the beginning of 2014.Nyigaam Island, Unity State, South Sudan, May 6, 2014: Tabitha Nyanyun and her three children seek refuge on Nyigaam, an island surrounded by swamps. She fled fierce fighting in Leer and has been given some tools and seeds to plant by the locals in the area. Her son John Kawai, eight years old, has found an automatic weapon that he holds on to.
– I don’t like that he keeps it but there is nothing else to play with, his mother Tabitha says.
She hopes her family can return to Leer in the future but at the moment she is too afraid to move.Nyigaam Island, Unity State, South Sudan, May 6, 2014: UN warns of a famine if no seeds planted in May. But signs of starvation are already present in communities hosting IDPs away from the UN bases. These communities now host more people and share the little food they have with the new arrivals.Nyigaam Island, Unity State, South Sudan, May 6, 2014: Children have caught fish in the swampy rivers. They sell it to people who can afford to buy food. In many places, fish is the only food to buy as the conflict has halted most goods transports. The boys are prepared to walk for days if they hear food or supplies have been brought in to a specific place and buy it for the money from the fish-sales. They return with things like sorghum, maize and beans.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 7, 2014: Children play on a tank that used to belong to the SPLA (government) forces. They (SPLA) attacked earlier in the year and fought against the rebels, resulting in many civilian casualties and a torched town. Leer has become symbolic in the conflict, being the hometown of ousted vice-president and rebel leader Riek Machar.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 7, 2014: A child in the late afternoon in Leer where government soldiers attacked earlier this year. They fought against the rebels, resulting in many civilian casualties and a torched town. Leer has become symbolic in the conflict being the hometown of ousted vice-president and rebel leader Riek Machar. Only days after government forces captured the town, rebels took it back and have held it since.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 7, 2014: Most houses were torched in clashes between rebels and government forces. The ones that remain are marked PK for President Kiir. This photo was taken two days before rebel leader Riek Machar met with Salva Kiir and signed a peace deal. But for most people, who know little about the conflict and even less about politics, the peace deal and the appointment of a transition government mean little.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 8, 2014: A man looks at the remains of a victim of the recent fighting in Leer. Body parts and bones are scattered in the area, showing signs of fighting. The many holes in the ground are signs from heavy shelling. People in Leer say most of the victims are civilians who have been dressed in military clothes by government soldiers in an effort to make them look like military casualties.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 8, 2014: A boy looks down a borehole where remains of several bodies have been dumped. The day after this photo was taken rebel leader Riek Machar met with Salva Kiir and signed a peace deal. But only hours after the ink was put on paper fighting erupted again in various locations in Unity State.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 8, 2014: A rebel soldier receives treatment after being shot in the leg and beaten on the head after a dispute with his fellow rebel comrades.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 9, 2014: Nyamot Mamuok is five years old and weighs only ten kilos. UN warns of a famine if no seeds are planted in May. But signs of starvation are already visible in Leer where most people have lost everything. During a screening at a torched hospital children arrived severely malnourished. Several in critical condition. One girl, who arrived with her mother, died because she was too weak to recover (not the girl in the picture).Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 9, 2014: A delivery of plumpy-nut, a feeding supplement for malnourished children, arrives by air to Leer. The MSF hospital was torched and looted during the fighting in town. Now efforts are being done to help the many severely malnourished children in the area. UN warns of a famine if no seeds planted in May. But signs of starvation are already visible in Leer where most people have lost everything.Leer, Unity State, South Sudan, May 9, 2014: A mother and her child wait at a burnt out hospital for malaria treatment. Meanwhile, rebel leader Riek Machar met with Salva Kiir in Addis Ababa and signed a peace deal. But only hours after the ink was put on paper fighting erupted again in various locations in Unity State again violating the fragile cease-fire.
