Surge of Casualties in South Sudan as Conflict Grows: 'It's Heartbreaking'

A one-year-old boy named Kol is lying in a hospital bed in South Sudan's capital city, Juba. He was shot in the leg during fighting near his home, and both of his parents were killed in the same attack. His grandmother, Nyayuel, stayed by his side and carried him to safety after wrapping his wound with a piece of cloth. Their story is one of many as violence grows worse across the country.

South Sudan turned 15 years old as an independent country this year, but the celebration has been overshadowed by rising conflict. Fighting has been getting worse between government forces and opposition groups in several states, including Jonglei and Upper Nile. Violence between different tribes and communities has also increased. The United Nations has warned that the country could return to a full civil war.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, known as the ICRC, runs one of South Sudan's main hospitals for trauma patients. The ICRC says hospital admissions have gone up by more than 50 percent in the first six months of this year compared to last year. Doctors say more than 90 percent of patients come in with gunshot wounds. These wounds are often in the chest, legs, or stomach, and sometimes in the head.

"It's heartbreaking. We see men, women, children who have been shot. The bullet doesn't discriminate," said Angeth Majok, the ICRC's head physiotherapist. Since the start of the year, the hospital has dealt with four mass casualty events. A mass casualty event is when 15 or more patients arrive from one single incident.

Paul Abraham, the ICRC's assistant head nurse, has worked at the hospital since 2016. He says the last few months have been busier than any other time he can remember. "In a week we receive a huge number of weapon-wounded patients, maybe 20 or 30," he said. The number of surgeries at Juba Military Hospital is up 30 percent compared to last year, and the surgical team is regularly working beyond its full capacity.

Getting patients to the hospital is also a major challenge. The ICRC flies patients in by both plane and helicopter several times a week, but keeping up with the number of people who need help has become very difficult. In remote areas far from the city, small clinics are understaffed and don't have enough supplies. Wounded people sometimes wait a long time in these places without proper medical care, and infected wounds are common.

The situation in South Sudan was already one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world even before the current fighting. More than 1.2 million refugees and people returning from neighboring Sudan have arrived, putting even more pressure on hospitals. At the same time, global aid funding has been cut, meaning there is less money to help those in need. Rose Ochieng, the ICRC's health coordinator, said that healthcare services at all levels are being reduced.

Humanitarian workers who are trying to help have also been put in danger. Last month, five aid workers were killed and four were injured in an ambush in Jonglei State. Despite the risks, medical teams continue to treat patients every day. One patient, a father of two named Gum, was shot in the hip during fighting last October and says that after months of treatment, he is slowly getting better.