Kapoeta, a semi-arid area,[1] has been experiencing severe drought conditions since 2021 caused by climate change.[2] The changing conditions have reportedly resulted in the spread of invasive weed species in the last two to three years. These include Beku (local name) with the scientific name Prosopis Juliflora and Abonglogir (local name) with the scientific name Parthenium. Invading farms, grazing land and roadsides, these weeds have a devastating impact on livelihoods, such as farming…
The alleged misuse of spiritual and supernatural powers in South Sudan can lead to youth violence against the accused individuals and their families, as well as their displacement, with related implications for their protection and return to their homes. In this blog, Ranga Gworo explores why this is happening and provides some conflict sensitivity considerations for aid agencies working on protection and return. In September 2021, a young man belonging to a Monyomiji[1] – a…
In our last blog post titled Leave No ‘R’ Behind: Understanding the Importance of Fostering Resilience I in the Context of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence, we discussed how experiences and understanding of resilience differ across different levels of society. Building on that discussion, the following discussion explores programmatic approaches that can be used by the World Bank and other development and aid partners to foster resilience. Several elements of program design and implementation can be…
Despite the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in 2018, violence continues to impact communities across South Sudan. Almost 4 million South Sudanese are displaced, including 1.7 million internally displaced people and 2.3 million refugees abroad, with women and children disproportionately affected. In the face of these challenges, however, communities across the country continue to draw on both established and new strategies to face the impacts of fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV). These strategies offer…
As pressure to support facilitated population movements and returns increases, Leslye Rost van Tonningen, CSRF Director, assesses some of the conflict sensitivity risks and opportunities that the aid community must account for during this process. As the implementation of the peace process slowly moves forward, five out of the six Protection of Civilians[1] sites that have been in place since 2013 have now transitioned to IDP camps, managed by the government. Meanwhile, planning for…
Christopher Tuckwood and John Green Otunga reflect on how rumours and misinformation about the coronavirus has impacted on the COVID-19 response in South Sudan. Christopher Tuckwood is the Executive Director of the Sentinel Project, while John Green Otunga is the East Africa Programs Manager overseeing the implementation of the Sentinel Project’s UnaHakika (Kenya), Hagiga Wahid (South Sudan and Uganda), Kijiji Cha Amani (DRC), and Runtu Waa Nabad (Somalia) initiatives. Introduction People all around the…
It’s been nine months since the first COVID-19 case was documented in South Sudan in April 2020 and aid agencies have had to work alongside communities across the county with varying and shifting perspectives since in responding to the pandemic. This blog, written by CSRF Project Officer Lona Morgan, explores the changing perceptions of COVID-19 amongst South Sudanese communities starting from the period when news of COVID-19 first emerged in the country (March 2020), three…
This blog highlights the benefits of strengthening coordination between humanitarian, peacebuilding and development actors implementing aid responses in South Sudan, particularly in times of humanitarian crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It was written by Nora Schmidlin from the Analysis and Impact team at swisspeace, with input from CSRF colleagues. The triple nexus is getting a lot of attention, both in global capitals, such as here in Bern, where I am based, as well as…
Within this blog, Chol Changath, South Sudanese Research Specialist in Livelihoods and Food Security, reflects on the potential impact of COVID-19 on rural community work within South Sudan. Whilst social distancing measures may principally limit food production as farmers and groups within the community cannot gather in close proximity to undertake work, the blog also explores the deeper ramifications of limiting close communal contact and working, including the impact on communal support networks, loss of…
In this blog, Flora Francis Bringi reflects on the social impact of COVID-19 on South Sudanese women and girls. Drawing on her work in the field of Gender with a number of South Sudanese NGOs including her current appointment as Managing Director for Ana Fii Consultancy, Flora highlights some social problems that South Sudanese women and girls face in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Sudan and shares some insights for the adoption…