Juba/Geneva, July 7, 2016. The recent formation of the transitional government in South Sudan brought the hope of peace for a country wrought with conflict since December 2013. However, as the world’s youngest country marks its fifth Independence Day on July 9, economic fallout, political instability and risk of famine loom large and threaten South Sudan’s future, warns CARE.
The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) on food security reported recently that an estimated 4.8 million people are suffering from extreme hunger with parts of Unity State at risk of famine. This is almost a 50 percent increase from what was reported earlier this year. The increased food crisis is due in large part to the crumbling economy causing food production to decrease and prices to increase dramatically. The South Sudan Bureau of Statistics just listed inflation rates at an astounding 295 percent.
“While the formation of the transitional government provides a glimmer of hope for South Sudan, it’s set with the backdrop of an economy spiraling downward. Not only can many people not physically access food because of continued insecurity, but they cannot afford to buy food because prices are so incredibly high,” said Fred McCray, CARE Country Director in South Sudan.
Meanwhile, the current peace deal is in jeopardy as violence spreads to parts of the country that had previously been peaceful. The influx of violence is causing more people to be displaced from their homes and further loss of livelihoods. This increased insecurity comes at a time when food production is traditionally lower due to weather patterns further preventing people from accessing food.
“Significant progress made towards peace and prosperity is at risk of completely falling apart for South Sudan,” said McCray. “This is still the world’s youngest country, and they need the ongoing support of the international community to help get them back on stable footing and keep pushing for full implementation of the signed peace process.”
About CARE in South Sudan: CARE has been operating in Southern Sudan since 1993, most recently providing assistance in health, nutrition, food security and livelihoods, peace building and gender based violence prevention across four states including some of the worst affected by conflict. CARE currently works in Upper Nile, Unity, Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria. Since the crisis began in 2013 CARE has assisted over 300,000 people across these four states. CARE has around 217 staff on the ground of which the majority (over 200) are national staff.