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3w ago

US Aid Cuts Linked to Cholera Deaths in South Sudan, Including Five Children

Eight cholera victims died after walking for hours to reach medical care, as US funding cuts shuttered health facilities in Jonglei State.

A Somali internally-displaced (IDP) child sits outside makeshift homes in Maslah camp, on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
A Somali internally displaced (IDP) woman stands outside makeshift homes in Maslah camp, on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
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Overview

  • Eight people, including five children, died of cholera in South Sudan after walking for hours in extreme heat to reach medical care due to the closure of local health facilities.
  • The closures are a direct result of US aid cuts under President Trump's 'America First' policy, which canceled over 90% of USAID contracts supporting global health programs.
  • Save the Children reported that seven health centers in Jonglei State were shut down and 20 others scaled back operations, leaving communities without critical healthcare services.
  • The US State Department has not confirmed the reported deaths but stated that some humanitarian programs remain active, while raising concerns about corruption in South Sudan.
  • South Sudan continues to face a compounded humanitarian crisis, with over 46,000 cholera cases and nearly 900 deaths since October, alongside widespread displacement and threats of renewed civil conflict.