Eight people, including five children, died during a three -hour trek on extreme heat to obtain treatment in cholera in South Sudan. Deaths occurred after local health services were forced to close due to aid reductions imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Three of the children were under five, reports.
The charitable organization based in the United Kingdom Save The Children said that deaths, which took place last month, are among the first directly linked to the cuts. Trump said the discounts, which started after taking office on January 20, were implemented to ensure that the subsidies are aligned with his “America First” program.
“There should be global moral indignation that the decisions taken by powerful people in other countries have resulted in children’s death in a few weeks,” said Christopher Nyamandi, except the director of the country of children in South Sudan.
Experts have warned that cuts – including the cancellation of more than 90% of USAID contracts – could cost millions of lives in the coming years due to malnutrition, AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.
The US State Department said he had no information on the deaths reported by Save The Children. A spokesperson said many American government programs providing rescue to South Sudan have remained active, but that support for medical services had also been used to enrich the country’s leaders.
“While emergency rescue programs are continuing, we will not ask, in all good conscience, the American taxpayer to provide assistance that effectively subsidizes the irresponsible and corrupt behavior of South Sudan political leaders,” said the spokesperson.
The government of South Sudan has recognized a significant amount of public corruption, but has denied specific accusations of transplant, including the family of President Salva Kiir.
Humanitarian aid in the country is often channeled through non -governmental organizations, largely due to corruption problems.
Save The Children supported 27 health establishments in eastern South Sudan at the earliest this year, when the American cuts forced seven to close completely and 20 to closely close, the organization said in a statement.
Transport services funded by the United States to take people to hospital in the main local city were also arrested for lack of funds, which meant that the eight patients with cholera had to walk nearly 40 ° C to be treated in the nearest health facility, he said.
In addition to the American cuts, more progressive reductions by other donors have set out the humanitarian response to South Sudan. Save The Children expects to spend $ 30 million in the country in 2025, compared to $ 50 million last year, Nyamandi said.
More than a third of the 12 million people in South Sudan have been moved by a conflict or a natural disaster, and the United Nations indicate that the country could be on the brink of a new civil war after having broken out in February in the northeast.
A cholera epidemic was declared last October. More than 22,000 cases had been recorded last month, causing hundreds of deaths, said the World Health Organization.
