* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Tens of thousands of South Sudanese, weary of the continuous conflict that has fractured their country for the past two and a half years, began arduous journeys to seek safety across the capital city following a week of intense fighting.
Across the United Kingdom, pictures of families clutching heir modest belongings did not make front page news; falling in the shadows of the appointment of Britain’s second female Prime Minister in history and the European football championship.
Bloody clashes in Juba that began right on the eve of the country’s fifth independence anniversary had rocked the world’s newest state for days before leaders of the fighting parties agreed to a fragile ceasefire. Since then, an estimated at over 36 000 by the United Nations – have fled across Juba and surrounding communities in search of safer havens.
Mothers took off on foot with young ones strapped on their backs while balancing what precious little else they own on their heads.
This situation has heightened fears of a humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies are keen to support the fleeing refugees but many have been forced to restrict their work because of the security situation. Additionally, there are shortages of food and water while health experts warn of potential disease outbreaks given the lack of sanitation facilities in the makeshift settlements people are staying.
According to World Vision officials in Juba, the worsening food crisis is also exacerbated by the closure of markets while continuous rain has made roads across the country impassable and made delivery of aid difficult.
Jeremiah Young, World Vision South Sudan’s Policy, Advocacy and Peacebuilding Adviser, said, “Individuals are forced to resort to extreme coping mechanisms like looting shops in order to provide for their children and families. While Juba has gotten quieter, there is still this unsettling feeling that something is not right. There are the occasional gunshots heard, but that is the status quo for a city like Juba.”
It’s worrying that the sound of gunfire has become a ‘status quo’. The abiding hope is however in the delicate ceasefire, which should encourage the international community to embolden the disparaging parties to cement a lasting peace deal.
In the short-term, we need to see urgent and unimpeded humanitarian access being granted to aid agencies so that they may fully respond to the needs of the most vulnerable people of South Sudan, both in Juba and across the country.
Secondly, world leaders must exert diplomatic pressure on those with influence in South Sudan to intensify efforts to bridge the gaps that separate them and build the necessary trust between themselves for the progress of South Sudan.
We would also like to see the international community walking the talk by funding its commitments to the 2016 South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan which is currently funded at a mere 39 per cent. Little progress has been made as the current level of suffering and needs have increased substantially. The level of urgency has never been higher. On-going and future operations to reach communities in need can only be scaled up across the country if funding is available.
In the medium term - once the war-torn country is stabilised and peaceful - the international community must work with South Sudan’s neighbouring countries to help facilitate an urgent improvement in their current trade relations. Currently, South Sudan is almost entirely dependent on imports from neighbouring countries to provide food security and livelihoods for its citizens. This is not a solution nor is it feasible. We have seen the dire impact that trade restrictions have on communities across South Sudan. The lack of food security has also often resulted in communities competing with one another, which causes further instability.
The international community must help support policies and interventions that will encourage local communities to develop and grow their own food. South Sudan has an enormous potential to be a major food producer not only for its population but also for the entire East African region and beyond. By providing them with the tools and expertise to be economically independent the people of South Sudan may become less reliant on humanitarian assistance and more resilient to any manmade shocks or stresses in the future.
Let’s step up our efforts to help rebuild this fragile nation and give South Sudanese families and children the future they deserve.
