South Sudan continues to be locked in a state of crisis, especially after the cutting off of USAID funding by the second Trump administration.
As per a report by the UK-based Save The Children on Wednesday, South Sudan has now recorded its first deaths directly related to the cut in USAID funding.
After the cut of USAID funds, Save the Children supported 27 health clinics in eastern South Sudan. This cut in funds resulted in the closure of seven health facilities and the remaining 20 were shut down partially.
Due to the lack of funds, US-funded transport services have also stopped, resulting in patients walking to the hospital to seek treatment in the scorching heat.
As per the latest reports, at least eight cholera patients have died due to the extensive walk to health clinics, of which three were children under the age of five.
US Announces Blanket Ban On Visa For South Sudanese Citizens
Adding to this crisis, the United States announced that it will be revoking the visas of all South Sudanese citizens in the US due to the country's "failure" to accept the return of deported citizens.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to X and announced that the State Department will revoke all visas and will no longer issue visas to South Sudanese passport holders until further notice.
"I am taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and to restrict any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States, effective immediately, due to the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner," said Rubio on X.
Following this, South Sudan reversed its decision to deny entry to a deported man. South Sudan earlier claimed that the man the US was trying to deport was a Congolese national.
Announcing the U-turn, the South Sudanese foreign ministry stated it will allow the deportee "in the spirit of the friendly relations between South Sudan and the United States.”
