Eight individuals, including five children, tragically lost their lives during a three-hour journey to obtain medical care for cholera in South Sudan, following cuts to U.S. aid that led to the closure of local health services, according to the UK-based charity Save the Children on Wednesday.
These fatalities, which occurred last month, are among the first directly linked to the funding reductions implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump after he took office on January 20. He stated that these cuts were intended to align grants with his “America First” policy.
“There should be a global moral outcry that decisions made by influential figures in other nations have resulted in child fatalities within just weeks,” remarked Christopher Nyamandi, Save the Children’s country director in South Sudan.
Experts have cautioned that these funding cuts, which include the cancellation of over 90% of USAID contracts, could lead to millions of deaths in the coming years due to malnutrition, AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other health issues.
The U.S. State Department indicated that it was unaware of the deaths reported by Save the Children. A spokesperson noted that many U.S. government programs providing essential aid in South Sudan are still operational, but acknowledged that support for medical services has also been exploited by the country’s leaders.
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The spokesperson stated, “While emergency lifesaving programs are ongoing, we cannot, in good conscience, request that American taxpayers fund assistance that essentially supports the reckless and corrupt actions of South Sudan’s political leaders.”
The government of South Sudan has previously acknowledged a considerable level of public corruption but has refuted specific allegations of graft, including those involving President Salva Kiir’s family.
Due to concerns over corruption, humanitarian aid to the nation is primarily distributed through non-governmental organizations.
Save the Children provided support to 27 health facilities in Jonglei State, located in eastern South Sudan, until earlier this year when funding cuts from the U.S. led to the complete closure of seven facilities and partial shutdowns of 20 others, according to a statement from the organization.
Additionally, U.S.-funded transportation services that helped individuals reach hospitals in the main local town were halted due to a lack of funds, forcing eight cholera patients to walk in nearly 40°C (104°F) heat to access the nearest health facility.
Among these patients, three were children under the age of five, as noted by Nyamandi.
In addition to the U.S. funding cuts, gradual reductions from other donors have further strained the humanitarian response in South Sudan. Save the Children anticipates spending $30 million in the country in 2025, a decrease from $50 million the previous year, according to Nyamandi.
Over one-third of South Sudan’s approximately 12 million residents have been displaced due to conflict or natural disasters, and the United Nations warns that the country may be on the verge of a new civil war following fighting that erupted in February in the northeast.
A cholera outbreak was declared last October, with the World Health Organization reporting over 22,000 cases and hundreds of deaths as of last month.
