You are here
South Sudan
The prolonged conflict in Sudan has caused major harm in the lives of children. During conflict, children were killed, recruited into armed forces or groups, sexually abused, subjected to hard labour, abducted and denied access to education. Due to the socio-political context here, the government has placed a high priority on maintaining security, leaving little attention to children’s issues. In 2010, over 150 children were sentenced to prison by both statutory (legal courts) and customary judges (chiefs using traditional laws), in 4 states of Southern Sudan where the study was conducted, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Jonglei and Western Bahr el Ghazal states [SCiSS study on children in conflict with the law 2010]. Very few children have access to schools, and children die every day from preventable diseases and lack of access to health facilities. Child rights monitoring and reporting is very weak due to weak reporting pathways. Given the rising violence against children, Southern Sudan is one of the hardest places to be a child.
Harmful traditional practices:
Southern Sudan is a region where cultural practices are part of governance in the society. Customary laws are often stronger than statutory laws. Girls and boys go through initiation rites, some of which are harmful, for example: early and forced marriages on young girls, facial scarification, and the removal of lower teeth.
Children without appropriate care and children on the move:
Due to conflicts arising from tribal and north-south tensions, more children and women are being displaced, separated from their families and consequently left without care. Recently, children on the streets have increased due to massive population movement, separation and the high poverty level. Girls are the most vulnerable when separated, as they are vulnerable to sexual exploitation. The prolonged conflict in Sudan has left dozens of children orphaned, a contributing factor to the increased number of children on the street. The government of Southern Sudan with support from development partners developed a draft policy on children without appropriate care and support. This policy document stipulates strategies to support children without appropriate care for example, foster care arrangements, adoption and interim care and support.
Emergency situations and children:
The rebellions fuelled by the April 2010 elections and upcoming independence attacked civilians, displaced dozens of people, and caused the separation and abduction of children during the conflicts. Militias often recruit children to use them in war and build up their numbers.
Flooding last year from the Nile during the rainy season caused displacement and interrupted schooling for children. Girls suffer the most during emergencies, because they are frequently used as a means of survival through forced early marriages and the receipt of dowries.
Child Labour:
Child labour is a major problem facing children in southern Sudan, as traders often employ children with no wages at all. Children living and working on the streets are among the most affected. Child labour is prohibited under the Government of Southern Sudan Child Act of 2008 because it denies children the opportunity to go to school and subjects children to hard labour, affecting their overall growth and development.
Corporal Punishment:
Children are often punished in schools, in the community and at home by teachers or parents. Corporal punishment is culturally accepted as a form of disciplining children amongst most of southern Sudan tribes. The Southern Sudan Child Act 2008 stipulates explicitly that corporal punishment is a form of violence against children, and that it is prohibited in all settings.
-
Killed and Maimed: A generation of violations against children
Millions of children are living in conflict. Hundreds of thousands of children have experienced grave violations of their rights – a quarter of a million violations against children have now been verified by the UN. Of these, more than 40% have involved t
-
Implementing the Global Compact on Refugees for children: Examples of child-focused work
At the time of writing, children make up over half of the world's refugees. These children face severe protection issues, and their care and development needs often go unmet. As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the world, the situation for refugee
-
The Health of Internally Displaced Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review
Around 41,3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were located around the world at the end of 2018. The same year, internal displacement in sub-Saharan Africa was higher than in any other region, with approximately 7,4 million people displaced due t
-
Living in Chains: Shackling of people with psychosocial disabilities worldwide
Hundreds of thousands of people, both adult and children around the globe with mental health conditions have been shackled at least once in their lives. Inadequate support and mental health services, as well as stigma concerning people with psychosocial d
-
Localization Across Contexts: Lessons learned from four case studies
This brief summarizes research on the localization of humanitarian action in several different contexts—Indonesia following the 2018 earthquake in Sulawesi, and the Horn of Africa, specifically humanitarian situations in Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan. T
-
How the Humanitarian Response to COVID-19 Failed to Protect Women and Girls
During the spread of COVID-19, gender-based violence increased across the globe. This report raises the voices of 852 refugee and displaced women in 15 African countries across East Africa, West Africa and the Great Lakes regions, enabling them to express
-
Needs Assessment and Analysis to Support Local Actors Engagement in the Humanitarian Programme Cycle
In this video, we can see humanitarian workers from Iraq, Somalia, and South Sudan present case studies about how and why they conduct needs assessments and analysis. Video in English: Video in Arabic: Localisation
-
Humanity & Inclusion South Sudan Program: Tips on including persons with disabilities in your COVID-19 GBV response
Produced by Handicap International, this tip sheet is intended to provide Gender-based violence practitioners with information on the risks and barriers that persons with disabilities may face during response to COVID-19. It provides practical actions for
-
Nowhere To Go: Disclosure and helpseeking behaviors for survivors of violence against women and girls in South Sudan
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a serious problem during times of armed conflict. Global estimates show that approximately 21 percent of women and girls in complex humanitarian crises have experienced sexual violence at least once during their
-
Time to Teach: Teacher attendance and time on task in Eastern and Southern Africa
In low- and middle-income countries, 53 per cent of children are in learning poverty. The learning poverty rate in sub-Saharan Africa is 87 per cent overall. It is a critical prerequisite to learning that teachers are attending lessons and spending qualit
-
Lessons Learned Evaluating the Baby Friendly Spaces Program for South Sudanese Refugees in Gambella, Ethiopia
Women and children are particularly vulnerable to morbidity and mortality during humanitarian crises. To address this problem, child health interventions that include support for the well-being of mothers must be adapted and evaluated in humanitarian sett
-
Fighting for Breath in South Sudan 2020: A call to action to stop children dying from pneumonia
Pneumonia is the world’s leading infectious killer of children, claiming the lives of more than 800,000 children under the age of five every year, more than 2,000 every day. It is a shocking demonstration of pervasive health inequities disproportionately