The Violations of Basic Human Rights in South Sudan

In South Sudan at least 80 percent of the population is defined as income-poor and living on an equivalent of less than US$1 per day (United Nations Development Programme,2018). As much as 85 percent of the working population is engaged in non-wage work (United Nations Development Programme,2018) More than one-third of the population lacks secure access to food. Almost 83 percent of the population resides in rural areas (United Nations Development Programme,2018). More than 74% of the population live more than 1 hour of walking away from a public health facility (Macharia,2017). The lack of accessibility to health services and inequality provided in South Sudan affect the population is a server way and is a violation of basic human rights.

South Sudan is known to have one of the highest maternal and child mortality rates in the world (ICCRC,2018). The three main killers of children in South Sudan are malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia.Widespread malnutrition makes children even more vulnerable to dying (Kealey,2017). Majority of these deaths are preventable, but these children don’t have the access to the correct treatments or within the time frame that is needed. Distance combined with the lack of primary health series, education amongst the members in the society and trust it affects the national health service (Kealey,2017).These issues need to be addressed in order for South Sudan to attack these barriers (Kealey,2017). Due to decades of armed conflicts and consent war it has significantly affected the development of the country. This has also affected its national health care services which are hanging by a string most of its aids is from international donors and organizations (ICCRC,2018).

Reports have suggested that only between 25-33% of South Sudan’s population has access to basic and adequate health services (Macharia,2017). With decades of constant violent civil war, it has left South Sudan with very little infrastructure, leaving it with only a few roads and limited access to health facilities. The death of over 2 million Sudanese during the war has led to a societal desire for large families, to help replenish the country’s population (BBC,2013). With the lack of access to proper health services and the poor quality roads affect mothers who are pregnant for simply not being able to have to check-up, it has been able to kill the mothers and the babies (ICCRC 2018). It is estimated that only 20% of people can reach a hospital within 24 hours. Mortality among under five years old in South Sudan is extremely high at 93 per 1000 live births – about 850 young children die every week (Kealey,2017). Parents are often reluctant to take children to clinics because of how far they are normally located and also due to the long lines they are welcomed with once they get there due to the lack of available hospitals (Kealey,2017). In 2016, 100 organizations were working in the health sector in the country, by mid-2018, no more than 40 are present (ICCRC,2018).

A new pilot project called the Integrated Community Case Management program, which aims to train people in South Sudan in health promotion and disease prevention such as hand washing, proper sanitation, and immunization. Since then there has been a 40 percent reduction in the number of under-fives admitted with severe pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea (Kealey,2017). These health inequities experienced threaten health as a human right, every human deserves the access to simple health service. Living in the western world we have access to simple health services on the daily basis and we have hospitals every other block as close as within a ten-minute walk.

What is experienced in South Sudan is a violation of basic human rights, human life shouldn’t be depending on where one is born and how much access a country can provide.