A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Nyatim, Nyirol County, Jonglei State, where at least 58 people have died over the past four weeks, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Around 30,000 people have fled recent violence in Lankien and Pieri and are now sheltering under trees near a swamp, without adequate food, water, or medical care.

Sharing information with Eye Radio newsroom on Monday, Gul Badshah, MSF operations manager, said, “One of our colleagues, who is currently in Nyatim, has reported that people are dying of suspected hunger, as their only food is boiled tree leaves. They also said that around a dozen children died of acute watery diarrhoea and suspected malaria.”

MSF staff added that at least 10 people have been abducted by armed gangs, including a breastfeeding mother who was shot dead. Most of those displaced are women, children, the elderly, and the sick, many of whom cannot move to safer areas.

Badshah called on authorities to urgently open humanitarian access, saying, “People in Nyatim are being trapped. Even if they want to leave this area, the vast majority do not have the strength or means, including transportation and money, to do so. MSF calls upon the relevant authorities to urgently secure access to prevent even more deaths and suffering. Our teams have been requesting access for the past month, but without success so far.”

Nyaluat, a mother who fled to Chuil with her children, described the dire situation: “We adults try to be strong, but the children die in front of our eyes. Sometimes children watch their mothers or fathers die. This was happening every day in Nyatim. If you survive, you survive. If you die, you die. That is how we live now.”

MSF also urged the international community, UN agencies, embassies, and other organizations to help secure humanitarian access and urgently scale up assistance to the trapped population.