In early August 2024, we sent a scout team to South Sudan, at the invite and request of Elijah, a Baptist Pastor in the capital city of Juba.

Malakal, a town in South Sudan’s Upper Nile Region along the Nile River, has a history marred by conflict. Once southern Sudan’s second-largest city and a key trading hub, it thrived under British infrastructure. However, after gaining independence in 1956, South Sudan plunged into nearly constant war. Malakal changed hands twelve times during the civil war following South Sudan’s 2011 independence. Today, it lacks electricity, and running water, and has severely damaged infrastructure.

The region, home to five tribes, has seen significant strife, particularly between the Shilluck and Dinka tribes. In recent years, the situation has worsened: 2022 floods and tribal wars in other parts of the region increased the town’s population to 195,000, and the ongoing Sudanese war has brought even more displaced people. South Sudan’s government, dependent on oil revenues, faces economic strain due to pipeline disruptions within Sudan, and for the past ten months, government workers have gone unpaid, hindering infrastructure repairs.

The first camp we visited in Malakal houses 7,025 people in about 1,500 households, mostly IDPs who returned from Sudan on April 8, 2024. Many are originally from Malakal and plan to stay, though some are Sudanese who hope to return.

Their journey from Sudan was perilous, with some being robbed, killed, or dying from starvation. Initially, they were placed at a border camp, but later transferred to their current location by IOM. The UN provided minimal initial aid—a few plastic tarps and a single food ration—before leaving them on a plot of land. Since then, 10 people have died from starvation and disease.

Arriving at the start of the rainy season, they managed to plant some crops but lacked tools and seeds for more substantial farming. For many, their daily sustenance comes from gathering and selling plant leaves and sticks in town. Their shelters are poorly built from sticks, rusty iron sheets, and scraps of plastic, many of which are now falling apart, leaving them exposed to the elements and causing health issues, especially for birthing mothers.

Sanitation is a severe problem, with no facilities on-site, leading to disease and mosquito infestations from standing water. They fetch water for drinking from the river, a 1½-mile trek that is physically demanding and often not possible during the rainy season. Some pay for donkeys to transport water, but the roads can become impassable. Access to medical care and education is also challenging due to distance and cost, leaving most children out of school. The primary issue is food scarcity, which with low energy levels, hampers their ability to work and improve their situation. They hope to plant more crops next season but lack the energy and resources.