SOUTH SUDAN

South Sudan, located in the Horn of Africa, is the world’s youngest country, having gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a long civil war. South Sudan is culturally and ethnically diverse, with over 60 languages spoken. The country has a population of approximately 12.4 million people and approximately 2.2. million internally displaced persons following different internal conflicts, food shortages and extreme weather conditions.

Further, more than 2 million South Sudanese stay as refugees in neighbouring countries, making it one of the largest refugee populations on the African continent. However, hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese have returned to their homeland over the recent years. The return is due to the conflicts in neighbouring areas, particularly in Sudan, which began in spring 2023, as well as food shortages and inter-ethnic unrest in Ethiopia. Many of the returnees are staying in underdeveloped areas in South Sudan and are therefore also in a very vulnerable situation.

While a revitalized Peace Agreement was signed in South Sudan in 2018 to pave the way for a peaceful South Sudan the subsequen years have been marked with political instability, armed clashes between opposing parties and related actors including organized armed groups and intercommunal violence. The prolonged violence affects the development of the country in multiple ways. For example, the protracted crises have disrupted learning by making access to learning unsafe and forcing schools to close during armed clashes. As a result, South Sudan has one of the world’s lowest literacy rates with approximately only 34 % of adults being literate. Gender-Based violence is also pervasive due to conflict and insecurity. The protective environment continues to deteriorate due to attacks on civilian populations, damage to properties and killings leading to family separations when people flee. In these circumstances, women and girls suffer the brunt gender-based violence which is considered the top protection risk and has led to sexual abuse inclusive of rape, child and forced marriages. Economic activities are also limited due to instability and challenging weather conditions.

Finnish Refugee Council in South Sudan

FRC started its operations in South Sudan in 2024 and currently provides humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons in Akobo County as well as supports the resilience and integration of refugees from Sudan and Ethiopia residing in Goma refugee camp in Juba. FRC’s work in South Sudan focuses on cash and financial literacy training, functional literacy, gender-based violence prevention and response, psychosocial support service provision and civil society strengthening.

Project summaries

Extended Life-saving Support to vulnerable communities in South Sudan border areas
The food security situation in South Sudan is alarming as an estimated 7.7 million people or 57% of the population across most vulnerable states are projected to face acute food insecurity in 2025. The country is heavily affected by forced migration – since the start of the civil war in Sudan it has received over 960,000 individuals, of whom 73% are South Sudanese returnees and 27% Sudanese refugees. The project addresses the situation by providing unconditional Multi-purpose Cash Assistance to 800 vulnerable households enabling them to buy food, non-food items and medication; besides, the complementary numeracy and financial literacy courses are provided to 1,000 cash beneficiaries and other cash programme recipients. To address the alarming rate of gender based violence cases, awareness creation on its prevention is carried in target communities and a Community Women Group will be capacitated to respond to gender and disability-based violence and discrimination. Overall number of beneficiaries will be 10,000 individuals (50% Returnees, 30% IDPs and 20% Host, at least 60% women and girls and 10% PWDs). The operation will be implemented in cooperation with Nile Hope. 

Budget: 783 000 EUR 
Duration: 1 year 
Start date: 1st of May 2025 
Type/Sector: Humanitarian assistance/Multi-sectoral
Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland – Humanitarian office

The project will be implemented in Gorom refugee camp in Juba, South Sudan amongst Sudanese and Ethiopian refugees and vulnerable host community members. The project will provide basic Functional Adult Education training to refugees to support their abilities to operate in the local languages in South Sudan. The Protection component of the project focuses on prevention of gender-based violence and discrimination of people with disabilities through awareness raising on sexual and gender-based violence and the rights of People with Disabilities. Awareness is created through mass campaigns and more focused events and discussions to different groups including duty-bearers. In Gorom refugee camp the need for psychosocial support was identified as one of the priority areas by the camp representatives.

The programme will address this by organising awareness creation sessions, recreational activities like sports and handicrafts as well as providing counselling sessions. Social cohesion will be promoted amongst the different ethnic and national groups in the refugee camps through refugee leaders and peace committees, which after receiving training on conflict resolution skills will organise community peace dialogues within the refugee camp. The project will also provide capacity strengthening support to local community-based and civil society organizations to strengthen the local civil society. The project is implemented together with ACROSS, a local civil society organization.  

Duration: 4 years
Start date: January 2026
Budget: 1 560 880 €
Type/sector: Basic life skills for youth and adults, democratic participation and civil society, ending violence against women and girls, conflict prevention and resolution, peace and security, promotion of mental health and well-being
Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

South Sudan is heavily affected by forced migration – since the start of the civil war in Sudan it has received over 1 200 000 individuals, majority of whom are South Sudanese returnees. The project addresses the situation by providing unconditional Multi-purpose Cash Assistance to 800 vulnerable households enabling them to buy food, non-food items and medication; besides, the complementary numeracy and financial literacy courses are provided to 1,000 cash beneficiaries.

To address the alarming rate of gender-based violence cases, awareness creation on its prevention is carried in target communities and a Community Women Group will be capacitated to respond to and to prevent gender-based violence. Overall number of beneficiaries will be 5 500 individuals (50% Returnees, 30% IDPs and 20% Host, at least 60% women and girls and 10% persons with disabilities). The operation will be implemented in cooperation with Nile Hope.  

Budget: 500 000 € 
Duration: 12 months  
Start date: May 2026  
Type/Sector: Humanitarian assistance/Multi-sectoral 
Donor: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland – Humanitarian office  

CONTACT:

Francis Eswap 
Country director
francis.eswap(a)refugeecoincil.fi
+211 922 03 47 01
+211 912 32 72 38 

SOUTH SUDAN OFFICE:

Plot No. 573 Block 3-K South  
First Class Area,Tongping, Juba NA Bari, 
Opposite Nile Fortune Hotel, Lakes Road,
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN  

 

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