The Republic of South Sudan became the world’s youngest nation and Africa’s 55th 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