South Sudan

Ethnic violence and conflict are commonplace in South Sudan, yielding instability at every turn. The country’s potential is clear – in abundant natural resources, access to trade routes, and large swaths of fertile land – but recurring fighting and weak institutions limit South Sudan’s ability to meet that potential.

From refugees to internally displaced persons to host communities, the ties that bind groups living in South Sudan are a severe shortage of necessities such as food, clean water, and safe spaces for shelter. More than 80 percent of the South Sudanese population lives on less than $1 per day, and the United Nations has declared the country’s food crisis one of the worst in the world.

Relief International began work in South Sudan in 2009, and operates in both government and opposition-controlled areas of the Upper Nile region to meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities in the grip of ongoing conflict.

Our health programs provide life-saving health and nutrition interventions through 24/7 services at hospitals and clinics in some of South Sudan’s most remote locations. We’re also combating the root causes of malnutrition through training for food-insecure families on how to establish high-nutrient vegetable gardens. Increasing access to safe water sources is also a focus of our work in South Sudan. We’re rehabilitating damaged water pumps and partnering with community hygiene promoters to provide instruction on proper water treatment and storage – a necessity for guarding against cholera and other water-borne diseases.

In a country where economic opportunity is limited but land space is abundant, the community-managed woodlots and tree nurseries we helped establish are providing a sustainable source of income. These small businesses are also reducing deforestation and the tensions that develop when there is high demand for limited resources.

“This year’s seasonal rains are delayed, leaving a record 7 million South Sudanese people facing extreme hunger – 21,000 of which are at risk of famine,” says Daniel Nyabera, Relief International’s South Sudan Country Director. “In the Upper Nile region, where we operate more than 100 nutrition sites and health facilities, we’ve seen a 22% increase in cases of acute malnutrition compared to this time last year. Our teams are providing services as quickly as we can to help nurture our patients back to good health, but more still needs to be done to address food insecurity and extreme hunger across the country.”