South Sudan – 18 November 2014

UN Deputy Humanitarian Chief to Visit S. Sudan
The UN deputy humanitarian chief Kyung-Wha Kang will undertake a three-day visit to visit South to draw attention to the humanitarian effects of its current crisis and to mobilise support to scale up and expand critical aid operations.
This will be Kang’s second visit to South Sudan in the past year. Between 19-21 November, she is expected to meet with communities affected by the crisis in different parts of the country, senior government officials and humanitarian partners.
“She will discuss ways of improving access to those in need and strengthening protection of civilians and aid workers,” the world body said.
Over 1.9 million people, the UN says, have been displaced, including some 473,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries as result of 11-months of conflict in the young nation. Violence, hunger and disease continue to threaten millions of people across the country as aid agencies warned of a looming famine early next year.
AllAfrica.com

War-Ravaged South Sudan Struggles to Contain Aids
Dressed in a flowered African print kitenge and a blue head scarf, Sabur Samson, 27, sits pensively at the HIV centre at Maridi Civil Hospital in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state.
Today she paid 20 South Sudanese pounds (about six dollars) for a bodaboda (motorbike taxi) ride to the centre and will have to skimp on food in the next days.
She will be hungry and few will help her in the village, although she is blind and a single mother of two children.
“Many people fear to come close because they fear they will contract HIV,” she told IPS.
Seated next to her, Khamis Mongo, 32, has lived with HIV for five years now and has suffered similar rejection. “Some people don’t want to eat from the same plate with me,” he says.
AllAfrica.com

Rebels Due to Hold Military Briefing on Proposed Power-Sharing Deal
The leader of South Sudan’s rebel faction, Riek Machar, is due to brief senior officials next week after agreeing to a power-sharing concession with president Salva Kiir.
The rebel faction’s Kampala-based representative, Otim David, said the aim of the meeting was to bring together the senior leadership and top generals to conduct consultations on the agreement and discuss the way forward for South Sudan.
Machar is expected to address military governors, field commanders and members of the rebel youth army at the 17 November meeting.
David said it was decided to hold the meeting to allow the senior leadership to hold consultations at a grassroots level and hold talks with elders in Fangak.
He has urged South Sudanese people to rally behind the rebel movement and support its struggle for a free and democratic state.
Sudan Tribune