Attachments
OVERALL PROGRESS
CONTEXT
South Sudan’s humanitarian situation remains complex. It is characterized by protracted internal displacement, localised conflicts, recurrent flooding and droughts, epidemic outbreaks, currency depreciation, food insecurity, malnutrition and social inequality and exclusion. South Sudan is at almost at the bottom of the Human Development Index, ranking 185 out of 189 countries. There are 8.9 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in the country.
Conflict continues to be a major driver of humanitarian needs in South Sudan, resulting in widespread loss of lives, displacement, and loss of livelihoods by communities. While the country has experienced relative calm at national level since the signing of the revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity in February 2020, there has been a spike in conflicts at sub-national level which have resulted in the displacement of thousands of communities in many areas. The conflict has also exposed segments of the populations to protection risks, such as child abduction and child marriage, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), forced recruitment into armed groups, family separation, physical assault, looting, extortion, and intimidation. As of January 2022, the total number of displaced populations stood at 4.3 million people (2.02 million internally displaced people and 2.3 million South Sudanese refugees in the neighbouring countries of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo).
Severe food insecurity persists in flood, drought, and conflict-affected areas, including Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Eastern Equatoria. The current food insecurity is a result of conflicts, displacement, floods, and inadequate rainfall in some areas, which has reduced food availability. The deteriorating security situation along the Nimule–Juba highway, which is a key supply route, disrupted the supply chain, driving food prices significantly higher than the long-term averages. The extremely high food and fuel prices are significantly affecting household purchasing capacity, further compounding the worsening food security outcomes. As per the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) for February 2022, approximately 8 million people (60 per cent of the population) in South Sudan are estimated to be facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or worse food insecurity outcomes.
South Sudan is also severely affected by the outbreak of diseases including cholera, malaria and the COVID-19 pandemic. Malaria and diarrhoeal diseases contribute significantly to the community disease burden in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Eastern Equatoria, calling for continued engagement of communities to raise awareness of the risk of exposure of these diseases. Water and sanitation coverage in South Sudan is low, with 63 per cent of the total population practicing open defecation and 41 per cent coverage regarding basic water supply. The low coverage in basic water and sanitation, combined with poor hygiene practices, means that the population remains vulnerable to outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases.
Traditional gender roles and social norms in South Sudan result in gender inequality and exclusion, particularly around girls’ education, restrictions of their mobility, limited decision-making power, and lack of access and control over resources. Gender-based violence affects 41 percent of South Sudanese people and 70 percent of people know someone who has been a victim. Due to existing socio-economic conditions, cultural beliefs, and traditional practices, women are more likely to be disproportionately affected by disasters, including increased loss of livelihoods, gender-based violence, and even loss of life during and after disasters. People with disabilities also often face stigmatization, marginalization, exclusion, and are left unable to access the support needed to live in dignity as equal members of society.
The combined effects of these multiple crises coupled with very low levels of development and high levels of poverty among the population continue to expose communities to the adverse effects of shocks and stress and call for a concerted effort to enhance the population’s resilience and protect lives in disaster prone areas of the country.