On fourth anniversary of South Sudan conflict, the number of people in crisis grows amid escalating violence

“Four years after the beginning of conflict in South Sudan, the situation continues to deteriorate with little hope for improvement,” said Rehana Zawar, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director in South Sudan. “Civilians, mostly women and children, bear the brunt of the violence as conflict continues to escalate in many areas of the country. Farmers are afraid to tend their crops. Women face risk of sexual violence on a daily basis when going to collect water or firewood for cooking. Hundreds of thousands of children can no longer access school due to insecurity and economic hardship.”

Six months ago, a massive humanitarian response addressed the famine that broke in the country. Today, an estimated 4.8 million people in South Sudan still face severe food insecurity – an increase of 1.1 million from last year. Risk of famine resurgence remains a real prospect in 2018 in many areas across South Sudan against the backdrop of violence and insecurity.

Recently, more than 45 people, including six aid workers, were killed in a remote village in Duk county in the east of the country. Unidentified armed men also abducted over 50 women and children, burned homes, and looted humanitarian warehouses. This single violent attack resulted in the displacement of over 2,000 civilians seeking safety in the neighboring town. The overall number of South Sudanese forced to flee their homes due to the conflict has risen in a year from 3.25 million people to four million according to the latest OCHA official numbers.

“Fighting and violence pushes increasing numbers of families to flee their homes, walking for days in search of safety, food, shelter and other basic services. Children often get separated in the process.  While South Sudanese show remarkable resilience in a deteriorating context, millions depend on emergency assistance from humanitarian organizations for their survival,” said Rehana Zawar.

The Norwegian Refugee Council urges all parties to the conflict to suspend hostilities, ensure protection of civilians, engage in meaningful dialogue, work towards a lasting peace and ensure safer access to vulnerable populations in need. By this time next year, we hope that South Sudan will have a real and lasting peace.