South Sudan
Photo: Caroline Gluck/Oxfam
A new nation: getting it right
As the process of nation-building begins in South Sudan, aid agencies are urging donors to set development priorities that will ensure a hopeful future for the people of the world’s newest country.
The recommendations are part of a joint report issued by 38 aid agencies, including Oxfam, which identifies 10 key priority areas for action.
Weak government structures are particularly in need of support and development, so the country can provide more and better services to its own people.
Support for agricultural development is also essential – much of South Sudan is fertile, but only an estimated four percent of arable land is currently being farmed. With access to the right equipment and technology, the country could not only feed its own people, but also bolster its fledling economy with exports.
Conflict lingers
Even as aid agencies prepare to meet with the newly formed South Sudan goverment to discuss development priorities, the future of the nation continues to be jeopardised by conflict. In recent months, fighting in Southern Kordofan has prompted thousands of civilians to flee their homes and take refuge in remote villages or in the Nuba Mountains. Humanitarian access to the region is alarmingly limited due to blocked roads, bombed airstrips and general insecurity. However, Oxfam and its two partners in and around the area have emergency supplies and staff ready to be deployed.
In May 2011, fighting between north and south in the disputed Abyei region resulted in almost 113,000 people fleeing, mostly into South Sudan. In 2009, around 2,500 people were killed and 350,000 fled their homes, a greater death toll than Darfur, according to Oxfam report Rescuing the Peace in Southern Sudan. We're calling for an end to the hostilities, so that aid agencies can reach affected civilians.
“Leaders need to remember that the only real solution is a peaceful one,” says Michael Delaney, Oxfam’s humanitarian director. “Both Sudan and the soon-to-be Republic of South Sudan will have to rely heavily on each other in the future. Having a peaceful border is vital for the long-term development and security for all Sudanese people.”
Read our latest media release about the Sudan crisis and our blog post about South Sudan's newfound Independence.
Both Sudan and the soon-to-be Republic of South Sudan will have to rely heavily on each other in the future. Having a peaceful border is vital for ... all Sudanese people.
– Michael Delaney, humanitarian director, Oxfam
Darfur
Meanwhile, the Darfur crisis remains one of the world's largest concentrations of human suffering. The sheer enormity of this conflict is staggering: 2.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in vast, crowded camps in Darfur and across the border in Chad.
More than 4.5 million people have been affected by the conflict and depend on humanitarian assistance. The violence goes on and thousands more people are fleeing every month. Aid workers have faced violent attacks, providing enormous challenges to their work.
Photo: Jane Beesley/Oxfam
Oxfam's work in Sudan
We have helped more than 500,000 people affected by the crisis, both in Darfur and eastern Chad by:
- Providing access to clean, safe water and sanitation as well as basic necessities such as blankets, soap and jerry cans for carrying water
- Carrying out public health education programs to try and prevent the spread of disease
- Providing opportunities for people find alternatives to the reliance on external aid so they can build a future
Learn more
Read the report Rescuing Peace in Southern Sudan
Find out more about how we respond in times of crisis
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