Insecurity jeopardizes South Sudan famine relief

In the wake of the United Nation’s declaration of famine in parts of war-torn South Sudan, humanitarian agencies are scrambling to deliver emergency assistance for the 100,000 people currently facing starvation and the more than 1 million more who are on the brink of it. These efforts could be stymied, however, if access issues in the war-torn country continue to prevent aid workers from reaching the people most in need.

The challenges include marshaling the resources to reach people who are hiding in remote areas and navigating the logistics of delivering aid in a country with little infrastructure and seasonal rains that make any form of travel virtually impossible.

Most critically, though, their efforts are being hampered by an ongoing conflict between the government and rebels — a conflict that is responsible for creating the famine in the first place by wrecking the economy and robbing people of their livelihoods. Both sides have shown a willingness to block delivery of aid and even attack humanitarians throughout the conflict.