Link to Article: https://apnews.com/article/south-sudan-fighting-opposition-access-government-aid-4fe25b9ad30b37bad03fda1e65da86da
Displaced civilians in South Sudan are being denied critical humanitarian aid as fighting intensifies between government and opposition forces. In the remote village of Nyatim, people who fled violence are facing extreme shortages of food and clean water, with some reportedly dying of starvation. Aid organizations like Doctors Without Borders and the World Food Program have attempted to deliver assistance, but both local and national authorities have blocked access despite repeated requests. Each side blames the other, with opposition groups accusing the government of withholding aid from perceived opponents, while officials claim rebel forces are exploiting civilians for leverage. As clashes escalate following the house arrest of opposition leader Riek Machar, the humanitarian situation continues to worsen, leaving thousands trapped without basic necessities.
This conflict is continuing to escalate with no realistic end in sight. Basic human necessities like food and water should not be politicized in war, especially that of civilian populations. It’s difficult to place blame on either side as both the South Sudanese government and opposition groups are using the community as leverage. Ideally, a third party mediator, such as the UN, would intervene and push for diplomacy, or at least provide aid to the at-risk communities. That said, there is little incentive for other nations to get involved and it’s unlikely we’ll see an end anytime soon.
Apart from the obvious key stakeholders of the opposition forces and the South Sudanese Government, 3rd party aid groups, such as Doctors Without Borders and the World Food Program, also play a major role in how this conflict plays out. These groups essentially rely on the consent of the involved parties to be able to access struggling civilian populations. As is evident, their ability to do so has not been granted by either party. If the conflict continues to trend this way, civilians will continue to starve, death tolls will rise, and the horrid humanitarian image will continue to grow.
This conflict provides an explicit example of human rights violations. The Nyatim community is being deprived of access to food and water. Both the Sudanese Government and opposing forces are committing indirect, arguably direct, human rights violations as their conflict has prohibited humanitarian aid from helping. South Sudan has signed a number of human rights laws through the UN including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is clear that both their inability to feed their population and their strategic, intentional prevention of humanitarian aid violates this treaty. Ultimately, South Sudan is unlikely to face prosecution for the human rights violations.