South Sudan
In South Sudan, HI promotes a more inclusive response to disability within the humanitarian community and ensures that women and girls who have survived gender-based violence receive the support they need to move forward.
An HI staff member sits with Oliver, who lost his leg in a mine accident. | © Dieter Telemans/HI
Our actions
In South Sudan, HI promotes a more inclusive response to disability within the humanitarian community and ensures that women and girls who have survived gender-based violence receive the support they need to move forward.
In South Sudan, HI is helping to ensure that the guidelines on the inclusion of people with disabilities in humanitarian action, as defined by the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee in 2019, are implemented at local and regional levels. This includes improving humanitarian coordination, developing tools specifically for people with disabilities (in food security, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, and protection), and advocating to address gaps in inclusion. In this context, HI also supports organizations of people with disabilities so that they can become more independent and participate meaningfully in the humanitarian system.
In the Pibor region, HI is combating gender-based violence. These activities consist of psychosocial support for women and girls who have survived acts of violence – financial assistance and referrals to health, legal and protection services are also provided. HI also distributes hygiene kits and organizes awareness-raising campaigns on gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health. These awareness-raising activities will be delivered through women- and girls-friendly spaces and mobile outreach to maximize their impact.
Finally, in response to the escalating humanitarian needs caused by the conflict in neighboring Sudan, HI is operating in the Northern Bahr el Ghazal region, distributing financial aid to the most affected communities.
- Number of HI staff: 21
- People directly supported by HI in 2025: 27,093
- People indirectly supported by HI in 2025: 162,558
- Program launch date: 2006
Areas of intervention
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South Sudan: Working toward greater inclusion
Zekia Musa-Ahmed, who lives with vision loss, is a campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities. She talks about her role as inclusion officer on the WISH project in South Sudan.
a life
Background
Upon gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan became the world’s newest nation. For years, the country has been mired in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, marked by ongoing inter-communal conflicts, significant political instability and recurring climate shocks, notably the alternation between severe flooding and major droughts. Despite the 2018 peace agreement and the formation of a government in 2020, the country is struggling to stabilize.
The situation is exacerbated by the influx of nearly one million refugees fleeing the violence of the conflict in neighboring Sudan since April 2023, bringing the total number of internally displaced people to over 2 million. These population movements are worsening chronic food insecurity: in 2026, 7.56 million people face a food crisis. Women and children are particularly at risk, with 2.1 million children under the age of five and 1.1 million mothers at risk of acute malnutrition by June 2026. Furthermore, inter-communal violence, particularly in Jonglei State, and severe flooding are destroying livelihoods and limiting access to basic services such as water, healthcare, and education.
Finally, the lack of funding (only 40% of the humanitarian plan funded in 2025) is exacerbating the crisis, leading to the closure of health and nutrition centers. Thus, despite fragile progress, such as the Tumaini peace initiative in 2024, the country continues to face significant structural challenges: fragile governance, an economy dependent on foreign aid, and failing infrastructure.
- Population: 12.4 million
- HDI: 0.388 (2023)
- GDP: USD 5.4 billion (2025)
- GDP per capita: USD 351 (2024)
Reports
The latest publications
> Amplifying the Voices of Sudanese Persons with Disabilities: A Life Saving Call to Address Their Needs in the Humanitarian Crisis (pdf, 609.16 KB)> Explosive Weapons Monitor 2024 (pdf, 6.32 MB)
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