Sudan: Our Response to the Suffering

In communities where 97% of the population lived on the verge of starvation, programs implemented by SFL in Southern Sudan in 2008 have worked to reduce this rate down to 75%.

The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005 between the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLA/M) triggered the unprecedented return of thousands of refugees into Southern Sudan. The internal and external migration caused a substantial decline in the rural economy, creating labor shortages and a collapse of the infrastructure. A lack of meaningful development in the post war period has raised the need for integrated assistance that targets key sectors to ensure the full integration of the returnee population.

A recently completed project in Torit County in Southern Sudan will enable 25% of the targeted communities – up from a mere 3%- to harvest enough crops to sustain returnees for the next year and provide enough seed for the following planting season. For many, the fear of hunger and starvation are no longer a threat.

Two decades of civil war have left the country in shambles. When a peace agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) was signed in 2005, many were finally able to return to their villages only to find that it had been destroyed by bombs and looting.

Prior to SFL's program, over 95% of the returnees were unable to address their immediate survival needs. The problem was further augmented by the lack of regular work or a steady income. Harvest levels of staple crops, such as finger millet, sorghum and groundnuts dropped drastically due to the war, reducing the availability of seeds. This left many hungry and without hope.

Prior to the conflict, 100% of the community's livelihoods were agricultural in nature. However, after returning to their home villages, all members of the community were unable to afford the capital to buy seeds, tools, fertilizer and livestock to begin jumpstarting their economy or even growing their own food for survival.

SFL responded to the need by distributing seed and tools, accompanied by education on best farming practices and oxen donated for community use. This enabled farmers to increase cultivated land from 5% to 60%. Those on the brink of starvation a year ago now have the ability to feed their family for years to come. Despite the success of this project, there continues to be much need within the communities in Torit County. Poor road conditions with broken bridges and overgrown trees hamper villagers' ability to get produce to and from main markets. Inadequate potable water and poor sanitation (an estimated two-thirds of South Sudan's population drinks unsafe, contaminated water) has led to preventable diseases such as cholera, dysentery, giardiasis, typhoid, worms, and many more. In the Torit area alone, cholera, a water born disease, killed over 45 people. Long-term housing and shelter needs are necessary. Currently, most returnees live in substandard conditions. Finally, education is of the upmost need. Facilities are non-existent or have been heavily damaged by the war. Families that remained in Southern Sudan during the war had little or no education. As a result, skilled labor is one of the lowest in the world.

Read more about our work in Sudan and how you can help in our Where We Serve: Sudan pages.