JUBA – A deepening humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Nyatim of Jonglei State, where at least 58 people have died over the past four weeks amid severe shortages of food, clean water, and medical care.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says an estimated 30,000 people have fled recent violence in Lankien and Pieri, seeking refuge in Nyatim, only to find themselves trapped without access to humanitarian assistance. Many of the displaced are sheltering under trees near swampy areas, exposed to hunger, disease, and insecurity.
The medical charity reports that humanitarian access to Nyatim has been blocked for nearly a month, preventing aid organisations from delivering life-saving support.
“People are dying of suspected hunger, as their only food is boiled tree leaves,” said Gul Badshah, MSF operations manager. He added that around a dozen children have already died from acute watery diarrhoea and suspected malaria.
The displaced population is largely made up of vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly, and the sick—many of whom are too weak or lack the means to reach safer locations.
Reports from the area also point to worsening insecurity. At least 10 people have reportedly been abducted by armed groups, while in one incident, a breastfeeding mother was shot dead.
Survivors who managed to flee Nyatim describe harrowing conditions. Nyaluat, a displaced mother who walked for days to reach Chuil, said death had become commonplace.
“We adults try to be strong, but the children die in front of our eyes,” she said. “If you survive, you survive. If you die, you die.”
Others echoed similar accounts. “Some die from sickness, some from hunger, and some are killed in the bush when they go to collect food or water,” said Nyapini, another displaced resident now in Chuil. “If something can be done to help them, it would be very important.”
MSF warns that thousands remain effectively stranded in Nyatim, unable to flee due to exhaustion, lack of transport, or insecurity. The organisation has urged authorities to immediately grant humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life.
In Chuil, about 50 kilometres from Nyatim, at least 25,000 displaced people have gathered along the Sobat River. MSF has scaled up its response there, upgrading a local health facility to provide emergency care, malnutrition treatment, maternal health services, and trauma support.
The organisation has also distributed relief supplies to more than 1,500 families and is expanding water and sanitation infrastructure, including constructing latrines and installing a water purification plant.
MSF is calling on the international community, including United Nations agencies and diplomatic missions, to intervene and help secure urgent humanitarian access to Nyatim. Aid workers warn that without immediate action, the death toll is likely to rise as thousands remain cut off from essential assistance.
