The World Bank in South Sudan

The Republic of South Sudan became the world’s youngest nation and Africa’s 55^th country on July 9, 2011. However, the outbreak of civil war in December 2013 and July 2016 undermined the development gains it had since achieved and made the humanitarian situation worse. Now, more than a decade after independence, South Sudan remains impacted by fragility, economic stagnation, and instability. Poverty is ubiquitous and is exacerbated by conflict, displacement, and external shocks.

The signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in September 2018 and the formation of a Transitional Government of National Unity in February 2020 have contributed to recovery and peacebuilding. A two-year extension of the R-ARCSS to February 2025 will allow the government to meet key milestones in the peace agreement. At the same time, a resumption of oil production in oil fields, previously shutdown due to conflict, has raised the prospects of an economic recovery. The country faces the risk of these gains being reversed, though, with incidents of violence increasing in 2021 (and continuing into 2022), severe flooding, and the lingering effects of COVID-19 pandemic all making an already dire situation worse.

South Sudan remains in a serious humanitarian crisis. Some two-thirds of its total population of 11.4 million (2021) are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022. Women and children continue to be the most affected.

South Sudan is highly prone and vulnerable to climate-related shocks, which have a devastating impact on people’s welfare. Since 2011 alone, it has suffered severe droughts and floods. The May-November 2021 floods, reportedly the most devastating since the early 1960s, affected 9 out of 10 states, impacting around one million people and displacing more than 300,000.

Going forward, upholding and implementing the peace agreement, strengthening service delivery institutions, governance, and economic and public financial management systems will prove critical as the country seeks to build resilience against future shocks and lay down the building blocks for a diversified, inclusive, and sustainable growth path.

Last Updated: Oct 05, 2022

The World Bank Group (WBG) has been engaged in South Sudan since the creation of the autonomous Government of Southern Sudan in 2005. The WBG’s strategy is guided by its Country Engagement Note (CEN) FY21-23. This has three focus areas: (a) laying the groundwork for institution building, (b) continuing support for basic public service delivery, and (c) promoting resilience and livelihood opportunities. The CEN also seeks to promote social inclusion, particularly of youth and women, as a cross-cutting principle. Its objective is to shift back to the government-led implementation of Bank-financed operations and to an expansion of the World Bank Country Program in the country. This programmatic expansion has resulted in a growing staffing footprint in the World Bank Country Office in Juba. As of September 2022, the WBG portfolio in South Sudan stands at $818.13 million, covering eight national and one regional operation, across the sectors of governance, health, social protection, agriculture, and community resilience.

Last Updated: Oct 05, 2022

Below is a selection of recent World Bank accomplishments in South Sudan:

COVID-19 National Response and Vaccine Deployment: The World Bank supported the Government of South Sudan to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 and accelerate vaccination efforts in the country. This included the procurement of 3.9 million doses of J&J vaccines and the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines nationwide to reach the target of 60% (COVAX and AVATT).  In addition, more than 4.5 million people are covered by essential health and nutrition services in the states of Upper Nile and Jonglei, along with the Ruweng and Greater Pibor Administrative Areas. These populations include refugees, host communities, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Provided Income Opportunities. Provided 64,973 poor and vulnerable households (nearly 424,110 individuals) with access to temporary income opportunities through direct income support and labor-intensive public works aimed at building and rehabilitating community assets across 10 counties in the country. Of these, about 78% were female and 48% were youth. Over 43,338 beneficiaries also received cash plus training in financial literacy, water, hygiene and sanitation, and early childhood development.

Enhanced Community Resilience and Improved Access to Basic Services. Improved access to basic services for over 360,000 people through the construction and rehabilitation of 231 community identified facilities, has been worth $7.3 million, and the 5,560 workdays it generated have been worth $854,310.

Last Updated: Oct 05, 2022

The World Bank maintains strong partnerships and engages regularly with development and humanitarian partners, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and civil society organizations (CSOs) in South Sudan.  

Last Updated: Oct 05, 2022