Afflicted by conflict and hunger
Last Update:2021/04/20Tags:
Over 8.3 million South Sudanese need your help
Since December 2013, South Sudan has been in the midst of an armed conflict. Around 4 million people have lost their homes and become displaced. To date, more than 1.6 million are internally displaced, while over 2.3 million are refugees seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Over 900,000 South Sudanese were still remaining in Uganda, with food and clean water being two of the most urgent needs for them.
On top of violence, South Sudanese also suffer from hunger. It is estimated that over 5.8 million people in South Sudan are experiencing food insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated people’s existing vulnerabilities and weakened an already fragile health system’s ability to treat people. Newly displaced families, communities hosting large numbers of displaced and/or recently returned refugees, and households that are headed by a single parent or looking after older people or people with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups.
An estimate of around 1.4 million South Sudanese children under age 5 and another 483,000 pregnant and lactating women are acutely malnourished in 2021. This is the highest number in three years and is related to increased food insecurity and the decrease in coverage and uptake of nutrition services due to conflict, flooding and impacts of COVID-19. Lack of nutrition in young children results in negative impacts on their physical and mental wellbeing, affecting their educational outcomes and livelihood opportunities at a later stage. Malnourished people are more prone to common and infectious diseases such as cholera, malaria, diarrhoea diseases, acute respiratory infection and measles.

2-year-old Abraham, weighed just 6.5 kgs, was unable to eat food and walk. His father feeds him with therapeutic food and he has recovered.

Drought means that Ayak, a refugee in a settlement, has to spend three hours watering her plots.

Trained in agriculture and animal treatment, young refugee Maurice helps villagers take care of sick animals, while earning an income during difficult season of lockdown.

Jen, 25, a South Sudanese refugee living in Maji, was trained by World Vision. During the lockdown, she was among the 10 from her tailoring class who resorted to making facemasks for sale while working at home.

Children being supported by World Vision and World Food Program’s school feeding program in Warrap State in South Sudan.

25-year-old Lucia is able to feed her children during the COVID-19 lockdown period as she receives cash assistance jointly provided by World Vision and World Food Programme.

11-year-old Diana does not have to bear thirst while at the hospital. She says, “We used to need to go home and drink water as we come to seek for treatment, but now World Vision has made available clean drinking water for all of us.”
World Vision staff are on the ground implementing response work, providing assistance to affected children, women and communities in South Sudan and Uganda. Our response work includes the following:
Food Assistance
Partner with World Food Programme to distribute food, cash/food voucher to the people in need
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Construct latrines and water supply system to improve the hygiene condition of affected people
Livelihood
Provide seeds, agricultural tools, agricultural training and other vocational training to the affected refugees and host communities
Child Protection
Establish Child Friendly Spaces to provide a safe and play space for children