South Sudan: Hospitals overwhelmed as fighting rages on

The Aboko teaching hospital is one of a string in South Sudan that are overwhelmed, as fighting in the country rages on. It has only one surgeon, and basic resources are running thin on the ground. Dozens of people are being treated for gunshot wounds.

An anonymous injured victim said, "the regime guard targeted the civilians. So because we are civilian, we are not soldiers. So even me, I don't know how to hold a gun. I'm just a civilian. I just came from Kenya recently. So I just go there to visit the family. We just do the celebrations (attended a ceremony). After celebration, within a day, then the incident (attack) occurred."   

According to hospital staff, some patients have been wounded in strikes by the government of South Sudan.

Nhial Bih, Head nurse at Akobo Hospital, said of his patients, "they came with different reasons. Some of them went to the front line. Some were bombarded by the government of South Sudan. We have four patients -- those four patients, they were at their home. They were bombarded by government of South Sudan. Some of them also, they did not go to front line. Like the mother and those boys, the government (forces) came at their residence and shot them."   

South Sudan gained independence 15 years ago but descended into civil war between two rival generals, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar. 

Nyamar Lony Thichot Ngundeng, the information minister of Jonglei state where fighting is ongoing, has urged residents to flee.

She said, "if you get injured during the crossfire, that is counted as crossfire, it is not intentional. Because some of these areas, once the clashes took place, there were civilians that were still in town. Once the civilians fled out of the town, they were actually safe. Once there are any crisis carried out between the political parties, we urge the civilians to stay out of it so that they will be safe." 

According to the United Nations, fighting in Jonglei state between the army and forces loyal to former vice president Riek Machar has displaced some 280,000 people since December.