By Deng Ghai Deng
South Sudan is in endemic poverty, and almost universal vulnerability, following a decade of economic decline.
This revelation about the world’s youngest country is contained in Poverty and Equity Assessment (PEA) Report, released by World Bank, on Tuesday .
The most recent South Sudan Household Budget Survey, conducted in 2022, finds that 76 percent of South Sudanese live below the national poverty line of 358,724 South Sudan Pounds (SSP) per person per year.
Extreme poverty, those living on less than $2.15 per person per day, affects over two-thirds of the population, highlighting the dire situation in the country.
The report highlights that widespread and extreme poverty stems from a combination of complex historical and systemic factors, including persistent conflicts and violence, inadequate capacity of the state to deliver essential services to the population, weak governance, and recurrent natural disasters.
The assessment warns that household strategies to cope with adversity have exacerbated vulnerability and have negatively impacted the capacity of most South Sudanese to withstand future shocks.
During the report’s launch in Juba, Charles Undeland, the World Bank’s Country Manager for South Sudan, stressed the urgent need to improve state functionality and governance.
He emphasized that better use of resources and transparency could help maximize benefits for the population.
“Building resilience to shocks and disasters, investing in flood protection, water storage, climate-smart agriculture, and early warning systems are crucial for mitigating the risks posed by climate-related challenges,” Undeland said.
Undeland also noted that strengthening state institutions to provide stability and public services is key to reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development.
Marial Dongrin Ater, South Sudan’s Minister of Finance and Planning, who officiated the launch, expressed his appreciation to the World Bank for producing the report and its timely relevance.
He directed his ministry’s technical team to carefully review the document, assess the effectiveness of its recommendations, and identify the best ways to implement them for the benefit of the public.
“We urge all stakeholders to unite our efforts toward a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable future, particularly in the social sectors of health, education, and sanitation management,” Dongrin said.
The report has called on authorities to invest in data and statistical capacity to narrow large data and knowledge gaps. The report noted that South Sudan’s statistical system is weak and complicates informed decision- and policymaking.
“The challenge facing policymakers in South Sudan is to design and implement sustainable, well-targeted policy interventions to address extreme poverty and food insecurity. Effective policymaking relies on credible evidence, requiring increased investment in building a robust statistical system to support these interventions,” said Dr. Augustino Ting Mayai, Director General of the National Bureau Statistics.
The World Bank Group said it remains a committed partner to support South Sudan to achieve its development aspirations and improve the well-being of its people.