Where they eat water lilies to survive: South Sudan’s remote islands – in pictures.
Last week I travelled by airplane, then by helicopter, and finally via canoe to reach some of the most remote communities on Earth; the inhabitants of the tiny islands scattered across South Sudan’s vast swampland known as the Sudd.
Welcome to the Sudd, one of the world’s largest wetlands.
We can expect communities outside of Nyal and those on the islands to have even fewer resources as they are further removed from economic centres, education and health services.
Due to its relative safety at present, people have fled here from the active fighting and famine conditions in Leer and Meyandit counties.
We set up nutrition stations near the mobile medical units so that people can access primary healthcare and nutrition services in one complete package.
IMC’s nutrition team saw a child with severe acute malnutrition.
We took to the canoes to assess the island populations.
Apart from fish and water lilies, we did not see other food across the three islands.
One of our first priorities will be to provide de- worming medication to the island communities.