South Sudan

South Sudan is currently ranked 185 out of 189 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI) and is one of the most under-developed countries on earth. Almost 43% of the population of South Sudan live below the International Poverty Line ($1.90 per day) and as much as 55% of the population don’t have enough food to eat. 

Over one third of all children under-five years old suffer chronic malnutrition and 68% of primary school aged children are out of school – the highest figure anywhere in the world and a stark reminder of the need for Mary’s Meals in South Sudan.

Life in South Sudan

South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa which shares borders with six neighbouring countries including Ethiopia to the east; Sudan to the north; Uganda and Kenya to the south; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic. 

South Sudan became the world’s youngest nation when it gained independence from Sudan, on 9 July, 2011.   

The current economic climate is making living intolerable for the vast majority of people in South Sudan, with 7.5 million people (about two thirds of the population) identified as being in need of humanitarian assistance. Around a third of all schools in South Sudan have had to close because of conflict and tens of thousands of people are displaced in temporary shelters across the country.