South Sudan has experienced a turbulent first decade since gaining its independence in 2011. Ongoing violence has quickly spread across the country, forcing people to flee their homes and plunging the country into crisis.
“I learned many things from the midwives. I learnt that you should go to check-ups to see how your baby and body are feeling. I also learnt that when you are pregnant you should not do heavy lifting. These are the types of things I have learnt from Concern.”
— Chagawa*, Mother, Aweil
South Sudan gained independence in July 2011 and has experienced a long history of conflict, displacement, and deepening humanitarian needs. The Human Development Index (HDI) places it at 186 out of 189 countries. We are responding by providing emergency, resilience, and long-term development programming.
*We are currently responding to the threat of COVID-19 in South Sudan. Find out more about our response here.
In February 2020, the establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) marked a step forward in South Sudan’s peace process. This follows largely successful ceasefire and a reduction in conflict since 2018.
However, the impacts of years of fighting have destroyed livelihoods, and persistent localized insecurity has left 7.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. There are 1.5 million people internally displaced within South Sudan, and 5.29 million people (45% of the total population) are facing crisis levels of food insecurity.
Last year, over 19,062 families (approximately 95,310 people) in Northern Bahr el Ghazal in South Sudan received food aid rations between April and September to ensure they had enough to eat during the lean period. This is the time when most households run out of food stocks, because of flooding, drought and/or crops suffering from pests and diseases. During this crucial six-month period, over 4,000 metric tons of food including cereals, pulses, vegetable oils, and salt were distributed.
Last year, we provided emergency shelter and non-food items, such as kitchen utensils and jerry cans, to people living in protection of civilian sites as well as to people who were newly-displaced and returning to their home areas. We reached over 177,000 people in one year with these essential supplies.
We have worked with almost 90,000 people in Aweil West and Aweil North to improve their capacity to manage the effects of climate change. Over 1,240 members of agro-pastoral field schools were trained to train others in climate-smart agriculture and how to manage natural resources better. We also supported the establishment of 13 community resilience planning committees that are responsible for analyzing the main hazards facing their communities and drawing up plans to mitigate the risks.
Our intersectional emergency programming in South Sudan includes activities around health, food security, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
© 2023 Concern Worldwide U.S., Inc
© 2023 Concern Worldwide U.S., Inc
