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South Sudan

<p>Since it gained its independence from the Republic of Sudan in July 2011, South Sudan has been struggling to build the world&rsquo;s newest nation from scratch amid border clashes with Sudan. Now it finds itself dealing with an influx of refugees as escalating violence between the Sudanese army and ethnic-Nuban rebels in South Kordofan forces hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A least 28,000 Sudanese have fled into South Sudan to the remote Yida refugee camp. Among them are many women and girls who were raped while they were fleeing the crisis. The IRC is providing immediate medical assistance, emotional support and other services to help them heal. &nbsp;</p>
<p>With as many as 400 desperate refugees arriving in Yida every day, the camp is being stretched beyond its resources and isn&rsquo;t always a safe haven. &nbsp;Many women have been assaulted while foraging for firewood to cook their meals, fetching clean water or finding a private place to go to the bathroom.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Women living alone in the camp are particularly vulnerable to attacks by groups of armed men who roam the area.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But the threat of violence comes from inside the home as well. Domestic violence is widespread and, like so many other forms of violence against women, goes mostly unreported. &nbsp;As one Sudanese woman in the camp said, &ldquo;It is so common, who would you tell? &nbsp;Everyone is being beaten.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The risk of contracting HIV or other diseases after a rape or other sexual assault is high. &nbsp;Many of the women arriving in Yida have not had access to adequate health care or to information that can help them keep themselves safe. In a region with the world&#39;s highest maternal mortality rates, most do not know what options they have for safe childbirth.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Nor do these women and girls have the power to make important decisions for themselves. In some cases, young girls are forced to marry much older men &mdash;&nbsp;given as wives in exchange for money or other resources that a family desperately needs to survive.</p>
<p>The IRC recently opened a Women and Girls&rsquo; Wellness Center where survivors of sexual and domestic violence can safely report abuse and receive medical treatment, counseling and other assistance. &nbsp;This new center also provides a place where pregnant women can give birth and learn how to keep themselves and their babies healthy.&nbsp;</p>

Protecting women in Yida

South Sudan
04.17.2012

Refugees fleeing South Kordofan in the Republic of Sudan are crossing the border into South Sudan as violence escalates in the embattled region.  The IRC is working in the remote Yida refugee camp to provide assistance for women and girls who have been sexually assaulted while fleeing the crisis and after their arrival.

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IRC field manager Pasquale Ongwen stands holding a small South Sudan flag
The crowd outside the John Garang Memorial Stadium in Juba on July 9, 2011
A teenage girl with her face painted in the colors of South Sudan's flag
Pasquale stands in a crowded field near the just-unveiled statue of John Garang
The flag of the Republic of South Sudan being raised for the first time
A young man in the crowd shouts for joy as the flag of South Sudan is raised
Arms outstretched, women in the crowd cry as they watch the flag being raised
IRC field manager Pasquale Ongwen watches the flag of the Republic of South Suda
The flag of the Republic of South Sudan flies from the top of the flag pole
Susan Purdin & others walk back from the Independence Day celebration in Juba

Independence Day in South Sudan

Africa, South Sudan
07.11.2011

On July 9, 2011 the IRC's Sophia Jones-Mwangi and Pasquale Ongwen joined a vast crowd of tens of thousands in Juba to witness the birth of the world’s newest nation – the Republic of South Sudan, as it celebrated its independence from Sudan.

 

Text and photos by Sophia Jones-Mwangi/The IRC

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Child stands outside a school
Child in a striped dress stands by a window
Man wearing rubber boots seated by a gate
Elderly woman smiles as she sits by a curtained door
Man looks out over a pasture
Woman in a pink dress kneels on rocky ground
A woman holds a baby while balancing a heavy load on her head
An elderly man and a small child sit in the shade under an abandoned train car
Two boys laugh, standing a dusty playground
An elderly woman with short hair and wearing a necklace sits on dusty ground
A woman wearing a headscarf peers, smiling, over the wall of a veranda
A boy laughs outside a mud brick building
A wman wearing a red headscarf and a necklace gazes fixedly
Two women glance away
Tthree men and a small child stand outside a hut
A young woman
A small boy leans against a pole under the awning of a mud hut
A group of childen stand in a dusty yard
A woman carrying a load on her head holds a small child

Portraits of South Sudan

South Sudan
07.08.2011

Photojournalist Christopher Scott traveled throughout South Sudan as a volunteer to document the IRC’s work helping families and communities in the region rebuild after decades of civil war.  These stunning portraits capture the "intense determination and pride" Christopher says he found in the people he met there.

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A man holds up his voting registration card for the referendum
Children and a woman stand outside in their village
A soldier walks through a town, part of efforts to end violence and help rebuild
A family stands outside a IRC health center
A pharmasist sits and gives medicine to patients at a health clinic
A woman and her babies sit in an IRC health center for maternal health care
A woman stands in her village, part of an IRC community group to empower women.
A woman carries her baby on an open isolated road, vulnerable to sexual violence
Children sit and sleep on a ledge; the IRC helps protect and educate children.
A child and IRC staff sit together; the IRC helps people recover and rebuild
Mothers sit with their young children outside an IRC health clinic
A woman stands near her temporary shelter made of sticks and plastic sheeting
Sudanese people stand, look hopeful for peace, which IRC supports with programs

South Sudan: Aiding a new country

South Sudan
05.01.2011

The IRC has been operating in South Sudan for over two decades, addressing the consequences of conflict and limited resources, and we will continue to aid the new country with health care, sustainable development, support for education and human rights, and more. (Posted May 2011)

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Polling site flag in Juba, Southern Sudan on January 9, 2011
Alexander Oyet, 78, holds up his voter's card
Line outside polling site in Juba, Southern Sudan
A little boy carries a plastic chair at a polling site in Juba, Sothern Sudan
Pasquale Ongwen smiles at the entrance to the polling site
Pasquale Ongwen casts his vote
Pasquale Ongwen and his wife Margaret (with one of their six children)

A historic vote

South Sudan
01.13.2011

The IRC's Sophia Mwangi spent the day with a friend and IRC colleague, Pasquale Ongwen, as he joined millions of others in Sudan to vote in the referendum on self-determination on January 9, 2011.

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Southern Sudan is one of the poorest and least developed places on earth. Millions of its people are dependent on food aid, malnutrition is rampant, and less than half the population has access to clean water. The semi-autonomous region has made little progress since 2005, when a landmark peace accord ended decades of civil war with the Sudanese government based in the north. The long-running conflict killed more than two million people and displaced millions more. Much of Southern Sudan’s social and economic infrastructure was left in ruins.
Now political tensions are again rising ahead of a referendum scheduled for January 2011. Voters in Southern Sudan will be asked to decide whether they want the south to secede formally from Sudan. Neutral observers say it’s crucial that there be a free election whose results are accepted by both the north and the south. Otherwise, a return to widespread conflict would be a disaster for an already beleaguered people.
The IRC has been working in Southern Sudan for over two decades, helping to reduce violence and rebuild communities. Today, the IRC aids more than 600,000 people across the region.
Most Southern Sudanese have little or no access to health care and must travel long distances to find treatment. In an effort to meet the overwhelming demand, the IRC operates 23 health clinics throughout the region. In 2009, these clinics treated over 300,000 people. This couple sought medical attention for their child at an IRC-sponsored clinic on the outskirts of Aweil.
The IRC's Institute for Community Health Workers in Ganyliel trains dozens of medical workers and advocates who every year spread out across the region to help those in need. At the clinic near Aweil, this pharmacist dispenses medicine to sick patients.
Women in Southern Sudan suffer from terrible health conditions. Ninety percent of all births are unattended and maternal mortality levels are among the highest in the world. The IRC runs “safe motherhood” programs for pregnant women and new mothers and provides prenatal care and training in safe delivery. This mother and her baby are resting at an IRC-sponsored clinic in Malulakon.
Sexual violence against women and girls is widespread, although often hidden and ignored. In the city of Rumbek, the IRC is supporting community groups where women can speak out through songs, drama and discussion. “We talk about violence, early marriage and why girls are forced to drop out of school,” one group member explains. “We say these things should be stopped.”
Children are especially scarred by poverty and the legacy of a war that destroyed many schools. In Bahr el Ghazal, the IRC works with the community to raise awareness about children’s needs and the importance of education. Many children in Bahr el Ghazal do not get enough to eat at home and hang out in the public market to see what morsels they can find.
Following the 2005 peace accord, more than two million uprooted people returned to Southern Sudan. To help them rebuild their lives, the IRC offers support in everything from health care and psychological counseling to job training and education. “Economic progress will take time but I feel things are getting better,” says John Akot, an IRC field manager. Akot fled to Ethiopia as a teenager to escape the conflict. “I’m optimistic,” he says. “All those who died during the war won’t get the chance, but I am lucky that I will get to see our country develop.”
In 2009, photojournalist Christopher Scott traveled throughout Southern Sudan as a volunteer to document the IRC’s work. “Sudan is a difficult place to raise a family," Scott says. “But the people exhibit an intense determination and pride. These mothers and their children are sitting outside the IRC clinic in Malualkon. One can see from the strength in their faces that given the opportunity the future generations of Sudan could flourish." (Updated January 5, 2011)

The IRC in Southern Sudan

South Sudan
09.24.2010

The IRC has been working in Southern Sudan for over two decades, helping to reduce violence and rebuild communities. Today, the IRC aids more than 600,000 people across the region -- one of the poorest and least developed places on earth.

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