Stories from South Sudan

Marie Helene Van Eyck, the Acting Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs for the United Nations in South Sudan, welcomed assurances from the government regarding aid access in the Akobo area. The region is currently experiencing a deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The African Union has decided to support President Salva Kiir. This support comes as President Kiir continues to implement changes within the government and the state, while the case involving his political party, the Machar, is ongoing.

South Sudan is experiencing new fighting that has caused hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes. Doctors Without Borders has decided to close a hospital in the Jonglei region due to the violence. The violence is targeting civilians.

Reporter Alice van Gelder reported increasing tensions and violence in South Sudan following her return from the region. Residents in the isolated town of Tjuril stated their town was bombed, forcing them to flee. The area is described as being difficult to locate on maps.

South Sudan's Acting Agriculture Minister stated that additional resources are urgently required to address food security issues. This figure represents about two-thirds of the national population. Four specific regions are currently at risk of famine. The crisis is exacerbated by displacement caused by ongoing fighting. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced due to fighting between government and opposition forces. Hunger experts report approximately 8 million people in South Sudan face acute food insecurity in the coming months. Acting Agriculture Minister Siddhants stated that additional measures are being considered.

An aircraft crashed in southern Juba, killing 14 people, including 13 passengers and one pilot. A small aircraft crashed in South Sudan near Juba on Tuesday morning. The plane reportedly lost communication approximately ten minutes after takeoff. The aircraft fell roughly several kilometers southwest of the airport. No information regarding casualties or survivors was provided. The report was broadcast via Monte Carlo Doualiya. Authorities reported that the aircraft lost communication about 10 minutes before the crash. A light aircraft crashed near the Sudanese capital of Juba. Two aircraft crashed in South Sudan, resulting in the death of one person, according to the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority. The authority reported that the accidents were caused by poor weather conditions, specifically heavy fog. The incident involved two planes, one of which was from Kenya.