A roundup of a few key recent stories on social issues in Sudan and South Sudan:
WBG State Health Minister to address high female genital mutilation in Raja (Catholic Radio Network, 9 May 2014) – The State Minister for Health in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el-Ghazal state has raised concern over the increase in female genital mutilation in Wau and Raja counties and called for health partner organisations to support affected communities.
‘Entire generation may be lost in Darfur’: UNICEF (Radio Dabanga, 12 May 2014) – The UNICEF Representative to Sudan has warned that an entire generation of displaced children growing up in Darfur camps may not be able to return to normal life. He claimed that 60-70% of residents are children, many of whom have endured serious trauma and malnutrition.
IOM conducts first mass cholera campaign targeting IDPs in South Sudan (Eye Radio, 14 May 2014) – The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is currently conducting its first mass cholera vaccination campaign in South Sudan. It targets internally displaced people sheltering in UN bases throughout the country.
South Sudan developing new school curriculum (Eye Radio, 13 May 2014) – South Sudan’s Ministry of Education have announced that they expect a new school curriculum to be finalised within the coming weeks.
Sudan’s capital ‘living between two Niles, and still thirsty’: residents (Radio Dabanga, 12 May 2014) – Residents in the El-Shajara district of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, have been protesting recent water shortages. They claim these have been caused by the diversion of water to a neighbouring district inhabited by high numbers of the political elite.
File photo: Nagagwu School, South Sudan, 2011 (Ezra Simon/USAID)