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South Sudan's Lost Year: IRC urges donors and the South Sudanese government to invest in long-term needs

For millions of South Sudanese, especially women, the threats and challenges they face have remained the same since the country’s independence. (Photo: Peter Biro/IRC)

South Sudan is marking its first year of independence with development at a virtual standstill and conflict, hunger and displacement distracting its government and international donors from tackling vast needs stemming from decades of war.

“From the standpoint of improving the quality of life for millions of South Sudanese people, these first 12 months of independence can be written off as a lost year,” says Susan Purdin, the IRC country director for South Sudan.
 
Since it officially separated from Sudan on July 9, 2011, South Sudan has been beset by a “perfect storm of natural and man-made disasters,” the IRC said in a statement released on Friday, noting recent crop failures and food shortages as well as an influx of refugees fleeing conflict in the Republic of Sudan. Official corruption and the government’s decision to halt oil production because of renewed conflict with the north has damaged the economy and spiked inflation. As a result, international donors have been reluctant to invest in vital long-term development, while aid groups have focused on emergency assistance.
 
While noting that immediate humanitarian needs are both crucial and welcome, the IRC is urging donors and the South Sudanese government to recommit to long-term funding of the country’s development plan. “What South Sudan needs now are donors who can make a long-term commitment to help the country provide essential services for its own,” Purdin says. “They need to stick with South Sudan through thick and thin.”