Celebrating its independence in July, 2011, South Sudan was declared the world's newest country. However, independence did not bring Africa's longest-running civil war in South Sudan to a termination. In December, 2013, the independence celebration was spoiled by the internal armed conflict between two rebelling parties, President Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar.¹

The continuing armed conflict has had devastating effects on civilians. Apart from mass killings, 1·87 million civilians have been displaced internally to overloaded camps, placing excessive burdens on shelter, health care, sanitation, water, and food services. 1·1 million civilians have sought shelters as refugees in neighboring countries, mainly Uganda.^{1, 2}

Food insecurity has reached an unprecedented high; 4·8 million South Sudanese, roughly more than a third of the population, are facing severe food shortages.² Global acute malnutrition rates have exceeded the emergency threshold of 15% malnourished population in seven of the country's ten states.³ In northern Bahr el Ghazal, the global acute malnutrition rate has doubled (33·3%) since December, 2013, and one in every three children under five years of age is acutely malnourished.⁴ As of Oct 14, 2016, the overall number of children with severe acute malnutrition was 362 077.⁴ The absence of clean water and proper sanitation has led to re-emergence of cholera outbreaks. By Nov 17, 2016, 3145 cases of cholera and 44 deaths resulting from infection had been reported.⁵

Children, in particular, are severely affected by the conflict; it has been estimated that 3·2 million children under the age of 18 years are affected.⁴ 16 000 children have been recruited by military forces, and they are increasingly susceptible to detention, exploitation, physical violence, psychological trauma, and sexual assault.¹ 13 000 children are missing, separated from their families, or unaccompanied. Owing to the high levels of insecurity and military invasion, the education of children has been severely jeopardised; more than half of the country's children are out of school—the world's highest figure of out-of-school children.^{1, 4}

Dec 15, 2016, marked 3 years of conflict in South Sudan. The 2016 South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan² should be supported to meet the objective of providing a target of 5·1 million out of an overall 6·1 million individuals who are in need of basic and life-saving necessities such as health, nutrition, protection, education, and water, sanitation, and hygeine. The UN has received 74% of the financial support needed to manage the catastrophe, leaving a funding gap of 26% (US$327 600 000). I call on all international societies and charitable organisations to extend their financial assistance, and contribute efforts in bridging peace between the rebelling parties. It is a humane duty to support South Sudan to recover and rebuild its nation. It is time to revive South Sudan's 2017 hopes for peace, wellbeing, education, and economic prosperity.

 

 

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I declare no competing interests.