Juba, South Sudan. June 2018 – As CARE South Sudan marks 25 years of dedicated humanitarian service in the country, the agency has renewed its call for parties in the ongoing conflict to seek long-lasting solutions for peace.
“Our partnership with the South Sudanese people started long before the country’s independence and has flourished over the last 25 years,” says Ms. Rosalind Crowther, CARE’s Country Director in South Sudan.
CARE’s journey in what is now South Sudan started in 1993 with the organisation initially providing emergency and relief assistance to people displaced from their homes.
“I remember vividly when I was a small boy, my family receiving some foodstuffs and blankets from CARE in 1993,” says Mr. Angelo Sakondo, a former beneficiary and now an employee with CARE South Sudan. “By then, we had nothing. Things were really tough as the war for an independent South Sudan was at its peak.”
Over the years, CARE’s presence in South Sudan has expanded to assist millions of people to prevent gender based violence, rebuild their livelihoods, and improve nutrition and food security. CARE is also supporting seven health facilities in Ruweng State and three mobile health teams in Imatong state serving hard to reach communities. CARE also works to build peace among communities in Jonglei state.
Since the current crisis began in 2013, over 4 million South Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes, including more than 2 million now living as refugees in neighboring countries. The UN estimates that about 7.1 million - almost two thirds of the population - will go hungry this year without urgent humanitarian assistance.
“South Sudan`s humanitarian crisis is having a devastating effect on communities, especially women and girls,” says Crowther. “CARE needs more funding to reach people with lifesaving assistance.”
But what the people of South Sudan need most is peace.
“South Sudanese people are resilient but they have become tired of an unending conflict,” says Crowther. “All they want is peace so that they can begin to re-build their lives.”
About CARE
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organisation fighting poverty and providing assistance in emergencies. Our emergency responses focus on the needs of the most vulnerable populations, particularly women and girls. CARE works in 93 countries, supporting 950 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects, reaching more than 62 million people directly (FY17). To learn more, visit www.care-international.org
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