Reaching the unreachable: Bringing health care to remote displaced communities in South Sudan

Imagine facing a medical emergency where the nearest hospital is a five-hour canoe ride away. For the most isolated communities in South Sudan, this is a daily reality.  

The world’s newest country has been in a near-constant state of crisis since its independence in 2011, facing civil war, devastating humanitarian emergencies and ongoing instability. Two-thirds of people experience poverty.   

What’s more, seasonal rains have caused  widespread flooding — leaving  entire communities stranded  for long stretches of time. These floodwaters usually subside after a few months, when the rainy season ends … but these have endured for four years.  

Accessing basic health care in such conditions is almost impossible.

A mother’s harrowing journey

Nyaluit Chuol, a young widow, has lived this impossibility. She and her five children are among the 4 million South Sudanese forced from their homes by conflict or severe weather. After months of flooding left her family without food or clean water, Nyaluit made a desperate choice to flee.  

Carrying her infant and guiding her toddlers, she embarked on a perilous 70-mile journey. They walked for six days through areas patrolled by armed groups. When they finally reached the displacement camp, the family was exhausted and severely malnourished.  

Yet, their journey to safety wasn’t over. 

Shortly after arriving, 4-year-old Nyayien and 2-year-old Mar contracted measles. Fortunately, Corus International was there — in the form of a primary care clinic at the camp. Health workers quickly stabilized the children and treated the virus. However, severe malnutrition complicated their recovery, requiring urgent advanced care at a larger regional hospital.  

The problem? Nyaluit didn’t have access to a canoe.

Bridging the health care gap

Basic health care is an urgent need for displaced and isolated families. Our donors are standing in the gap to ensure the most vulnerable people in Jonglei state have access to essential medical services. This looks like treatment for malaria and other illnesses; delivering key vaccines like tetanus and polio; ensuring children and pregnant women have adequate nourishment; and much more. 

In many cases, Corus International is the only help reaching these communities.

A boat to go the extra mile

For Nyaluit and her sick children, Corus offered an innovative solution. To bring health care within reach, our donors purchased a motorboat. This boat carries medical supplies between sites and serves as an ambulance to rush emergency cases to the hospital — cutting a five-hour journey down to one hour.   

This means fewer women will die from complications during labor. It means affordable transport is available when needed. And it means Nyaluit’s children got the lifesaving treatment they needed, just in time!