South Sudan
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has witnessed armed conflicts and humanitarian crises. The 2018 peace agreement put an end to the civil war, but peace remains fragile. Switzerland focuses its efforts on food security and livelihoods, protection of the civilian population, human rights and peacebuilding.
Context South Sudan
Conflicts and violence, a lack of food, flooding, and the impact of climate change weigh on the everyday lives of most of the almost 13 million inhabitants of South Sudan. The country gained independence from Sudan in 2011. The two civil wars that ensued resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people. The violence plays out against the backdrop of deep social divides and disputes over access to natural resources, such as oil and pastureland, as well as access to power at local and national level. In 2018, a peace agreement was negotiated between the parties to the conflict. The cumulative effects of years of conflict, widespread violence, political instability, chronic food insecurity, a lack of basic services, and the effects of climate change mean that two thirds of the population are now dependent on humanitarian aid.
Switzerland plays a particularly important role in South Sudan. Since the 1980s it has been carrying out humanitarian activities there (when the country was still part of Sudan) and is active in peacebuilding. In the past, the complementary nature of these instruments was an essential characteristic of Switzerland’s activities, and this has been reinforced in the cooperation programme for 2022-2025. Switzerland focuses its action on food security and livelihoods, the protection of civilian populations, and human rights (through the SDC), and on peace and conflict resolution (through the Peace and Human Rights Division, PHRD, at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, FDFA). Since 2006, Switzerland has had a cooperation office in the capital, Juba.
Food security and livelihoods
South Sudan is at risk of chronic food insecurity due to a number of factors: conflicts and violence, increases in the price of basic foodstuffs, a lack of access to humanitarian aid, logistical problems, and the impact of climate change. Switzerland aims to secure access to food for the most vulnerable populations and to promote food self-sufficiency. In this respect, the interplay between humanitarian aid and development cooperation is key to sustainably strengthen the resilience of the populations affected. Switzerland supports projects of the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), as well as national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Protection of the civilian population and promotion of human rights
Through its activities, Switzerland helps protect the most vulnerable population groups and displaced people, with a particular focus on women and young people. It works to promote gender equality and to tackle and prevent gender-based violence. It also strengthens local communities to create a safe and peaceful environment for the population. Switzerland works to ensure that particularly vulnerable people can enjoy unimpeded access to protection measures. It supports projects led by the United Nations (UN), the ICRC, and national and international NGOs. These projects aim to both provide emergency relief and to encourage a transformation of the system at the local level to prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts.
Approach and main partners
Where appropriate and possible, Switzerland adopts an integrated approach, combining humanitarian aid, development cooperation, multilateral instruments, diplomatic measures, and peacebuilding in order to maximise the impact.
Switzerland’s main partners in South Sudan are:
- National and international NGOs;
- UN agencies;
- Civil society organisations;
- Research institutes.
Stories
Fragility: between challenges and perspectives. A closer look at three countries
South Sudan, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of the Congo: three accounts of Switzerland's work in fragile contexts.
«The situation in South Sudan is still fragile»
The head of the SDC, Patricia Danzi, visited South Sudan at the beginning of January together with a Swiss delegation. All you need to know in this interview.
Contact
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