Story Of This ‘Dying’ South Sudan Girl Is Both Heartbreaking And Heartwarming: In Pics

When four-year-old Nyajime Guet arrived at the clinic in South Sudan, she was so weak she couldn’t even sit up. She was so malnourished, she weighed just nine kilos, less than an average girl of one. She was dying. Her father Michael brought her to the Unicef-supported clinic in Juba where doctors battled to bring her back from the brink.

Her story has been captured by Sebastian Rich, a freelance photographer who worked on assignment in South Sudan for UNICEF.

Nyajime Guet, 4, was admitted to a UNICEF supported clinic in Juba Protection of Civilians site, South Sudan, on 12 October, 2015, suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition. She weighed just 9 kilos.(UNICEF/2015/South Sudan/Rich)

Too weak to sit, Nyajime is carefully supported by her father, Michael, who has stayed by the bedside of his daughter throughout. Conflict forced the family from their home and they now live under UN protection. Therapeutic milk is the first thing to give to a malnourished child. Rich in nutrients and easy to digest, it helps to stabilize their vulnerable body.(UNICEF/2015/South Sudan/Rich)

Day 3 of treatment and Nyajime is doing better. She is finally sitting up. To everyone’s pleasant surprise she musters a small and very contagious smile. A quarter of a million children are estimated to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition in South Sudan, more than double the pre-conflict estimates.(UNICEF/2015/South Sudan/Rich)

It’s day 8 and Nyajime is back on her feet. She is being weighted to make sure that the recovery is going well with steady weight gain. A severely malnourished child is nine times more likely to die from disease than a non-malnourished child so building her strength is key. (UNICEF/2015/South Sudan/Rich)

Day 11, and Nyajime is steadily growing stronger. Nyajime is alert and taking note as the doctor and her father carefully monitoring her progress. Her father can’t believe the improvement , “The day when I brought her to the clinic she wasn’t moving, she couldn’t walk or sit.” (UNICEF/2015/South Sudan/Rich)

In less than two weeks, Nyajime has been brought back to life. Doctors in the IMC clinic say the little girl will make a full recovery as long as the treatment is carefully followed. . “I’m very happy that we will go very soon,” says a relieved Michael. She is is one of more than 100,000 severely malnourished children treated by UNICEF and partners this year. (UNICEF/2015/South Sudan/Rich)