IsraAID South Sudan launches emergency cholera response

IsraAID, Israel’s leading humanitarian NGO, launched an emergency response in Juba, South Sudan as an ongoing cholera outbreak takes an especially hard toll in local camps that host refugees and IDPs. Since the outbreak began on October 28, over 6,000 cases and approximately 60 deaths have been recorded nationwide. The outbreak comes amid an ongoing influx of refugees and returnees from the conflict in Sudan. In collaboration with the South Sudan Ministry of Health, MSF, and local leadership, IsraAID will support cholera prevention among some 63,000 refugees and returnees in Juba POC camps 1 and 3.  IsraAID’s in-country team will promote community awareness, distribute essential hygiene and sanitation items, support sanitation infrastructure, and establish stations for prevention and early treatment of symptoms.

South Sudan’s current cholera outbreak comes amid ongoing civil conflict, creating conditions for the disease to spread rapidly – particularly among already vulnerable communities. Cholera spreads through contaminated water. While it is highly treatable, without intervention it can lead to severe dehydration and death. Chronically underdeveloped health infrastructure, lack of access to safe water, inadequate sanitation facilities, and overcrowded living conditions all contribute to the particularly dire situation in Juba camps. Meanwhile, unprecedented flooding has displaced over 46,000 people from Upper Nile state and the influx of over 850,000 refugees and returnees fleeing conflict in Sudan is further straining fragile health infrastructure.

IsraAID will operate oral rehydration points – supplying safe drinking water and oral rehydration salts – to prevent and treat early symptoms of cholera. The organization will engage communities and spread awareness on proper hygiene and cholera prevention, including door-to-door awareness campaigns, distribution of materials and meetings with communities and leaders. Garbage collection points will be cleared out, and sustainable maintenance plans will be put in place. To ensure that changes are long-lasting and sustainable, IsraAID will train community members, outreach workers, and local water committees on continuing these projects.

In a regional collaboration, the IsraAID South Sudan team will be supported by the IsraAID Malawi team, which responded to a major cholera outbreak in Malawi in 2023. Sharing knowledge across IsraAID offices, the organization will be able to provide a stronger and more robust response.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, was formed in 2011. Two years later, civil war erupted across the country. IsraAID launched its mission to the country in 2011, where its local team of South Sudanese humanitarian experts focuses on child protection, preventing and responding to gender-based violence, and promoting sexual and reproductive health rights.

IsraAID’s Director of Technical Unit, Sita Cacioppe said:

“Building on our long-term commitment to communities in Juba, IsraAID is ready to leverage all our expertise in health, water, sanitation, and hygiene to support refugees and returnees in South Sudan. This emergency is also a unique opportunity to bring together our teams from across the region, drawing on all we learned during 2023’s cholera outbreak in Malawi. While conditions in the Juba camps are incredibly challenging, we know this community and their resilience. Cholera can spread rapidly and can be incredibly deadly, but is also preventable when the right measures are put in place.  Early intervention when symptoms appear along with effective hygiene and sanitation practices can prevent outbreaks from becoming catastrophes.”

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Further information is available on request, including interviews with IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer and other individuals involved in this operation.

CONTACT:

Shachar May
Email: [email protected]
Phone/Whatsapp: +972586664969

Notes:

IsraAID is a leading international humanitarian non-governmental organization, based in Israel. Since 2001, IsraAID has become synonymous with a rapid response to humanitarian crises and a long-term commitment to working with affected communities. During and after emergencies, IsraAID partners with communities to re-build their lives – and their futures – together. As of December 2024, IsraAID has responded to more than 100 emergencies, in more than 65 countries.