South Sudan Context
Persistent conflict in South Sudan has affected the population for decades. Southern Sudanese fought two civil wars against the Government of Sudan (1955-1972 and 1983-2005) to obtain independence, a struggle that claimed over 2.5 million lives (Breidlid, 2014). On 9th July 2011, the new Republic of South Sudan brought together 11 million people from more than 63 indigenous ethnic groups and 80 linguistic groups (UNMISS, 2014). However, after just two years of independence, fighting erupted in Juba on the evening of 15th December 2013 between different factions of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GoRSS).
The clashes quickly spread to Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile States, as the primary areas of fighting and displacement, leading to a protracted national conflict. Since then, over one million of South Sudanese have fled their homes, killings and displacement of civilians have occurred on a massive scale, neighbourhoods were left empty and often destroyed by security forces (UNMISS, 2014).
Since May 2015, tensions burst into violence in Western Equatoria State, with an unconfirmed number of killings. Before such evets, the state was an island of peace in a conflict-torn country, inhabited by Zande and Moru tribes, among othersamong other tribes. In the same year fighting also increased in Central and Eastern Equatoria States, forcing a massive number of people from ethnic minorities to flee their homes and take shelter in several refugee settlements, mostly in Uganda. A significant number of South Sudanese of ethnic minorities from Central, Western and Eastern Equatoria States were registered in Kiryandongo refugee settlement.
Main Aim and Objectives
LCED’s goal is to end poverty in all its forms, everywhere (Sustainable Development Goal No. 1). People displaced by conflict often just collect a few food items which they can carry while fleeing from their homes, and in few cases some small Non-Food Items (NFI) such as small jerry cans or saucepans. In many cases their houses are set on fire and their belongings are looted,
LCED APPROACH
LCED is one of the implementing partners of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), providing provides humanitarian assistance in Western Equatoria State, Central Equatoria State, and Lakes State, South Sudan.
and even in cases when the buildings are not destroyed, people hide in the bushes for months for fear of being attacked again if their return to their homes. In other cases, IDPs seek protection in the Protection of Civilian (PoC) sites under the surveillance of the UNMIS staff, or they migrate to other community where they struggle to share resources.
Therefore, LCED interventions consist in providing IDPs with material for Emergency Shelters (often plastic sheets, poles and ropes) and NFIs (e.g. jerry cans, cooking utensils, mosquito nets, blankets, sleeping mats, buckets, and soap).
This is one of the steps to alleviate the sufferings of displaced populations and other people affected by conflict. Providing humanitarian assistance is also a first step to fight poverty, which needs to be combined with development efforts, in order to achieve sustainable results.
