Violence persisted in South Sudan in 2017, despite efforts to implement a peace agreement signed two years earlier between the parties to the non-international conflict that began in 2013. Armed confrontations between government troops and opposition forces affected the Bahr al-Ghazal, Equatoria, Jonglei and Upper Nile regions. Scarcity of resources, and ethnic and communal tensions, led to violent clashes between armed groups throughout the country. Violence and other abuse against civilians continued to be documented. An estimated four million people were reported to have been displaced by the violence; of these, two million sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Among those internally displaced, over 200,000 were at “protection-of-civilians” sites run by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

More people than in previous years were at risk of malnutrition and disease, owing to the combined effects of intense violence, critical shortages of basic commodities, and unavailability of essential services, including health care. Security and other constraints hampered the ability of humanitarian organisations to assist vulnerable communities, especially in isolated areas. Over 28 humanitarian aid workers were killed in 2017, including Kennedy.

The ICRC, working closely with the South Sudan Red Cross, helped to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of both residents and internally displaced people. The complexity of the situation meant we had to adapt to provide timely assistance while also ensuring the safety of our staff. For example, we relocated teams from areas affected by intense fighting to more stable areas. ICRC aircraft continued to transport staff and airdrop food supplies; the latter were collected by National Society and ICRC teams at designated sites and then distributed. Items that could not be airdropped were delivered by smaller aircraft capable of landing in difficult terrain. More than 511,800 people – mostly IDPs and their host communities – had food to eat during times of scarcity, because of ICRC food distributions.

Despite the poor security conditions, we increased support for people needing medical services. We airlifted hundreds of people, nearly twice as many as in 2016, to facilities providing higher-level care, including ICRC-supported hospitals. Our surgical teams reinforced local capacities in providing treatment; they performed over 4,300 operations. Initially, they were stationed in hospitals in Juba, Kodok, Maiwut and Wau, but the Kodok and Maiwut hospitals were evacuated by July because of intensified violence.