Cholera patients die in South Sudan after U.S. aid cuts shut local clinics

Eight people, including five children, have died in South Sudan after walking for three hours in search of medical help for cholera, UK-based charity Save the Children reported on Wednesday.

According to the organization, the victims were forced to make the journey on foot after nearby health facilities were shuttered due to cuts in U.S. humanitarian aid. The charity said the deaths highlight the devastating impact of funding shortfalls on already fragile healthcare systems.

“These children died simply because they could not access basic, life-saving treatment in time,” said Save the Children in a statement. “No one should die from a preventable disease like cholera.”

The U.S. government had previously been one of the largest donors to health services in South Sudan, but reductions in funding over the past year have left many communities without critical support.

Save the Children has called on international donors to urgently restore funding and prevent further loss of life as the country battles ongoing health and humanitarian crises.