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As many countries in Eastern Africa suffer the worst drought in four decades, South Sudan sits uneasily on the opposite end of the spectrum – saturated by years of intense flooding that has affected more than one million people in the country.

In 2022, MSF teams around the world continued to respond to crises, old and new. While COVID-19 was not the emergency it was in previous years, new challenges arose. The war in Ukraine escalated in February; the political, humanitarian and economic crises in Haiti deteriorated severely; cholera emerged on an exceptional scale in several countries. 

Sami Al-Subaihi is MSF’s Emergency Project Coordinator in Twic County in Warrap State, South Sudan. He shares his urgent concerns for more than 20,000 people who fled violent clashes in and around Agok in Abyei Special Administrative Area, more than four months ago, and who are now living in six makeshift displacement camps. He says the lack of food and proper shelter, dismal water and sanitation conditions, and impending rainy season, all spell disaster for the coming months.

In the months since South Sudan was hit with the worst flooding in decades, more than 835,000 people have been living in dire conditions. With water levels in affected areas unlikely to recede, those displaced may not be able to go back home before the next rainy season begins. 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are responding by providing clean water, food, shelter, health care, and access to hygiene and sanitation services. 

Malaria continues to be a major health problem in South Sudan, with the ongoing humanitarian crisis impacting the severity of the outbreaks. With those under five years of age most at risk, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has launched a seasonal malaria chemoprevention program in Aweil to prevent infection and serious illness among children.

Some of the worst floods to hit South Sudan in decades have affected more than 780,000 people in the region. People’s homes and livelihoods—crops and cattle—as well as health facilities, schools, and markets, are submerged by floodwaters. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, and already existing displacement camps are at risk of being completely flooded, leading to even further displacement.

Heavy rains have caused widespread flooding in South Sudan this year—affecting more than 400,000 people so far, according to United Nations estimates—while the rainy season continues.

Around the world, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams are working to ensure children receive the best healthcare possible. The stories below talk about the enormous challenges faced by these young patients and the impact of MSF programs on helping them survive and stay well.