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South Sudan

© Matthias Steinbach
Fieldset

South Sudan is the world’s youngest country, gaining its independence from Sudan in 2011 after a long civil war.

However, violence erupted again in 2012, when a power struggle between the president and his deputy gave rise to the South Sudanese Civil War. Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes and livelihoods.

South Sudan is located in Central East Africa and has a largely tropical climate, although areas in the north of the country tend to be drier and hotter. Malaria and kala azar are both endemic.

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) first worked in South Sudan in 1983. Our work has responded to conflicts, neglected diseases and gaps in healthcare.

Daniel Campbell
Daniel Campbell
Logistician
The Flooded Island Riddle
When a young patient needs an urgent transfer in impossible circumstances, Dan and the logistics team try to find a solution to the challenging puzzle. But, in this remote part of South Sudan, not everything is in their control...
04 Jun 2020 / 12 minute read
Lamya Abdi
Lamya Abdi
Pharmacist
"I’m an MSF pharmacist and together, we save lives!"
A young boy is in a critical condition. He'll need life-saving medication, possibly for months. But in this remote location, securing medicines is no easy matter. Lamya blogs from South Sudan...
26 May 2020 / 4 minute read
Paras Valeh - MSF
Paras Valeh
Doctor
"I will never forget her face": Saving lives from snakebite
Australian doctor Paras Valeh explains the dangers of snakebite for patients in South Sudan, and why antivenom must be made accessible to all who need it
18 May 2020 / 6 minute read
MSF staff registering patients ready for consultations in the village of Kuemdoum
Stephen Bitrus - MSF nurse
Stephen Bitrus
Nurse
Learning to count in Nuer: Teaching basic healthcare in remote South Sudan
In depths of the Sudd - a vast South Sudanese swampland - access to healthcare can be extremely limited. Nigerian nurse Stephen shares his story of reaching cut-off communities with a grassroots approach to saving lives.
27 Mar 2020 / 6 minute read
Karla Claus (centre) with her fellow female logistics supervisors, Marine Leloup and Mariam Mahgoub
MSF logistician Karla Claus
Karla Claus
Logistician
Meet the women doing "men's work"
Logistics is at the heart of MSF’s lifesaving work, ensuring our medical teams can respond quickly and effectively to any emergency. But, while MSF strives for gender equality, logistics is a male-dominated field. Breaking the mould, Belgian logistician Karla introduces us to three women making their mark in South Sudan.
12 Feb 2020 / 5 minute read
British doctor Jennifer Hulse is providing emergency care in Lankien, South Sudan
Welsh doctor Jennifer Hulse in South Sudan
Jennifer Hulse
Doctor
"Do children die in England?"
British doctor Jennifer is faced with tough questions as she adjusts to life in Lankien, South Sudan. In this moving story, she shares her first weeks of working in the emergency room and intensive care unit treating critically ill children.
20 Jan 2020 / 6 minute read
Samuel
Samuel Avubu
Audio diary: "I feel so much joy and happiness in my heart"
Samuel Avubu has worked as a watchman for Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Mundri, South Sudan. Today he shares some life-changing personal news...
08 Dec 2019 / 2 minute read
Nyame and her baby
Tom Niccol, MSF doctor
Tom Niccol
Doctor
"This is why we are here": The race to save a life in South Sudan
In remote Old Fangak, a woman is in desperate need of medical treatment. But with no surgical facilities and a runway too muddy to land a plane, time is running out... 
21 Nov 2019 / 8 minute read
An outreach worker in Bentiu
Elizabeth Wait MSF
Elizabeth Wait
Health Promoter
Let's talk about sex: STIs, stigma and South Sudan
Imagine striking up a conversation about sexually transmitted diseases with a stranger in a public place. Now imagine doing this in a foreign country with unfamiliar languages and cultural practices. Health promoter Elizabeth learns South Sudan is full of surprises...
20 Nov 2019 / 5 minute read
MSF logisticians unload supplies delivered by plane to Lankien, South Sudan. Isolated and difficult to reach by road, the project is often supplied by air.
Welsh doctor Jennifer Hulse in South Sudan
Jennifer Hulse
Doctor
From Snowdonia to South Sudan: Doctor delivers emergency care
On her first assignment with MSF, doctor Jennifer swaps the mountains of Snowdonia for the vast swamps of South Sudan to provide emergency care in the remote town of Lankien.
17 Nov 2019 / 9 minute read
Margaret Ngunang
Margaret Ngunang
Mental health specialist
Movie Night: Mental Health in South Sudan
A long stay in hospital is stressful for anyone, but especially for children. Mental health specialist Margaret shares a creative approach from a UN camp in South Sudan...
10 Nov 2019 / 3 minute read
A mother with her newborn baby in the maternity ward in Leer, South Sudan
Dan and Luise - MSF
Daniel Campbell and Luise Jaehne
“Maternity! Now!”
Logistician Dan is a trained first responder, but when he asks midwife Luise to teach him a few new skills, he's plunged into a life-threatening emergency where both a mother and baby face slim odds of survival. Told from two different perspectives, this story takes us inside the team at a maternity ward at Leer, South Sudan...
05 Nov 2019 / 14 minute read