Sudan (South)
Southern Sudan is a semi-autonomous region of the Republic of Sudan, with Juba as its capital. It is inhabited by mostly Christians of African descent and is approximately a quarter of the size of the whole of Sudan.
Despite being endowed with oil, which is the base of Southern Sudan’s economy, a full 90% of the population lives below the poverty line -- surviving on just a half a dollar a day.
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| Post–conflict recovery and development in Southern SudanFour years after the historic signing of peace agreement, Southern Sudan is beginning to enjoy the dividends of peace. Reconstruction and recovery activities are gaining ground with the establishment of the Government of Southern Sudan and its working partnerships with humanitarian agencies including World Vision. Key issues include:
• High child mortality -- estimated at 150 per 1000 live births. Children in South Sudan are three times more likely to die than those in Northern Sudan. About 670,000 under-five children die from preventable diseases every year. Malaria, acute respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases, combined with malnutrition, are the leading causes of death among under-five children.
• Influx of returnees -- putting more strain on already strained resources. In 2008, an estimated 1.7 million people returned to their homes in Southern Sudan, according to a UN report. These people lack access to water and sanitation facilities.
• Illiteracy: the level of child enrolment in Southern Sudan is the second lowest in the World after Afghanistan. Many children in Southern |
Africa’s Longest Running Civil War Though Sudan is rich in oil and mineral resources, over two decades of war and local conflicts have brought a devastating humanitarian crisis to the region of Southern Sudan. The conflict between Sudan's Muslim north and mainly Christian south was -- until officially ended in January 2005 -- Africa's longest running civil war. This war pitted rebel factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army against the government of Sudan, It destroyed the region’s infrastructure, wiped out livelihoods, and left the entire population vulnerable to hunger and diseases. Two million people died during the war and four million were displaced from their homes, according to the UN.
A January 2005 peace agreement has brought some desperately needed hope for the people of Southern Sudan, and has led to the establishment of the Autonomous Interim Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS). The south has also been given the chance to vote for full independence in 2011 after six years of home rule. However, peace still remains fragile due persistent tribal conflicts over pasture, water and other local resources in greater Upper Nile and greater Bahr El Gazal Regions of Southern Sudan.
This situation is further aggravated by recent Ugandan Lord Resistance Army (LRA) attacks on villages in Western Equatoria states following a joint military offensive against the rebels by the governments of Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Southern Sudan. The LRA rebels retaliated by looting, abducting, and killing more civilians -- causing massive displacements of people from their homes in Western Equatoria, Southern Sudan. World Vision in Southern Sudan World Vision has been working in the volatile context of Southern Sudan since 1989 to aid the recovery of people’s livelihoods, and to improve their prospects for long-term development.
In 1998, the Bahr el Ghazal region, in Southern Sudan experienced its worst ever recorded famine. WV Southern Sudan broke the news to the international community and mobilised resources from its partners to save thousands of children and vulnerable community members during the famine.
Currently, World Vision programs are located in Warrap, Upper Nile, Western Equatoria, Central Equatria, Jonglei and Northern Bahr El Gazal states in Southern Sudan. World Vision is:
• providing health services to an estimated 1.3 million people and supporting 14 Primary Health Care Centers and 70 Primary Health Care Units across Southern Sudan.
• providing access to clean water and increasing hygiene and environmental sanitation among the local population.
• providing over 70% of WFP-donated food resources to support recovery and development activities across Southern Sudan -- including food assistance to Congolese refugees in Western Equatoria.
• strengthening communities’ coping mechanisms and supporting re-integration efforts through provision of basic non-food items to internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as other people affected by natural disasters and local tensions across Southern Sudan.
• supporting local peace initiatives and humanitarian protection of most vulnerable community members through psycho-social and reintegration programmes targeting 145,000 people across theWestern Equatoria, Warrap and Upper Nile states of Southern Sudan.
• promoting agriculture by supporting primary production of staple food crops to strengthen livelihoods of both returning IDPs and their host communities.
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