South Sudan seemed to have little reason to celebrate the third year of its sovereignty on July 9, as crisis continues to consume the country.
Seven months after the power struggle between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel leader and former Vice President Riek Machar broke out, South Sudan remains mired in internal conflict. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the civil war that escalated from the squabble has displaced up to 1.5 million South Sudanese within the country and has driven more than 800,000 people to seek refuge in the surrounding region. Around 4 million people, meanwhile, are likely to face famine as early as next month.
A pledging conference in Oslo, Norway, and a revised humanitarian appeal — now with a $1.8 billion funding requirement — have drawn much-needed attention to the country’s plight. Some donors, according to OCHA, also responded “quickly and generously” to the crisis, channeling more than $100 million during the first month of the conflict.